The Dawn of a Golden age
by patton446
Summary: After a close encounter with death, Harry receives help from the most unexpected of sources. Dark!Harry/Hermoine. Violence and language warning, maybe more later on. Action/Humor/romance/Horror/Crime. For ChAOtiC ReApEr's Joined Souls Challenge. This is a repost since the old one is gone.
1. Once Upon Atrocity

1: Once Upon Atrocity

 **I** decided to take a shot at ChAOtiC ReApEr's Joined Souls challenge. This will not take priority over The Boy Who Destroyed the World. But the idea was interesting so here we go.

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable. Title is from a song on Roadrunner United, Lyrics and Vocals by Dani Filth of Cradle of Filth and some chapter titles taken from band Cradle of Filth (LOVE THEM)

EVIL!Harry

* * *

Dumbles and Weasels Bashing.

 ** **The Dawn of a Golden Age****

* * *

 ** **I Am Atrocity****

 ** **Chapter I: Once Upon Atrocity****

Pain, blinding pain. He felt another blow land accompanied by his Uncle's angry voice. "You little shit!" Another blow landed on his ribs followed by a gasp from the helpless boy as he felt his bones snap. What had he done to deserve this? All he had done was ask if he could have some of Dudley's birthday cake. They had given him a small slice to keep up appearences in front of their guest but as soon as the last one had left his uncle had struck him hard across his face. Ten minutes later he was now laying bloodied and beaten in his cupboard.

He couldn't breathe very well, and whenever he coughed from the dryness of his throat each hack was accompanied by blood. He could feel what little strength he had fading. He was dying.

 _"Weak, pathetic, useless, filth."_ a voice spoke in his head. ** _What? Who's there?_** Harry was scared, he had never heard this voice before. Why was it there now? _"You are weak. You are pathetic. This must change, you must be strong! I will help you, to save our life. I will not allow myself to die!"_ As these words were spoken Harry felt a cold energy surge through his veins. He nearly screamed out in pain as he felt his body give a shudder, aggravating his many wounds. **_What is happening?_** Harry asked the foreign presence in his mind. _"I am saving our life, sleep now."_ Before Harry could protest his mind slipped into slumber.

* * *

He dreamed. Flashes of memories not his own passed before his eyes like a film. He saw a boy, perhaps a few years older than him, being bullied. He saw this same boy speaking to an old man with a long beard. He saw a young man kill another boy while chanting something under his breathe. He saw a man dressed in a long black cloak torturing a man in a skull mask with some kind of stick while he laughed. Flashes of green. Screams of hundreds. Until finally the last scene passed. The man was walking up a garden path, he lifted his hand and pointed the stick, ** _no not a stick, a wand,_** at the door and blast it off of its hinges.

A bespectacled man stood before him with his own wand drawn. They dueled for a moment before a sickly green light, ** _Avada Kadavra_** , struck the other man in his chest. The man fell lifeless to the floor, a look of surprise still adorning his features. The cloaked figure then moved up the stairs and into a room which appeared to be a nursery. He watched as a woman tried to beg for her child's life. He felt a strange mixture of sorrow and glee when she fell to the floor dead. Soon he was standing before the crib with his wand pointed at the infant. There was another green flash and everything went black.

* * *

Harry awoke feeling better than he had in a long time. He looked at his body, he could find no trace of his previous injuries. The voice in his head was now silent. Harry pushed himself out of his small bed and out of the cupboard. He was hungry so he went to the kitchen. He had just tucked into his breakfast of toast and cereal when his aunt entered the kitchen. When she caught sight of him eating without permission she made to strike him. Before her hand was even all the way up she found herself slamming rather painfully into the wall with a loud crash.

"Now now, auntie. What would warrant such a response? Perhaps you should be taught a lesson in civility." he asked in a mockingly cold voice that was not his own. He was taken aback by the cruelty in his tone but before he could speculate on it further his uncle Vernon came running, or waddling quickly, into the kitchen. What he saw made his blood boil. His freak of a nephew was standing over his wife who was on the floor in pain. He charged at the boy. He didn't get two steps before he was on the floor next to his wife writhing in pain.

"Tut tut, we can't have that now can we?" Harry was once again struck by how cruel he sounded, even to his own ears. He watched his uncle release silent screams. _"Yes,yes, feel what I have felt. Suffer as I have suffered! Hahahaha"_ Harry held Vernon there until the pain caused him to lose consciousness. He looked at the still aware Petunia. "Where is that son of yours?" she didn't answer. "Up in his room sleeping?" she still didn't answer. "Hmm, let's let him rest a while longer. Shall we?" She just nodded dumbly.

Harry moved toward the front door. As he passed the cupboard he called over his shoulder, "Do not try to run, do not try to escape or tell anyone what has just occurred here. If you disobey me, there will be hell to pay."

 _"Now to Knockturn Alley!"_

* * *

 ** **A/N: well that's the first chapter. Should I continue? Let me know what you think.**** No flames.

 ** **Joined Souls Challenge****

Okay so there is two ways to write this story, one is having Harry becoming evil and the other having Harry staying good.

 ** **Requirements for both story's****

It should start with Vernon almost killing a young Harry which results in both his and Voldemort's souls joining to save his life.

Harry must gain all of Voldemort's knowledge of the dark arts and of the wizarding world

You can have him being super powerful or you can just have him with all the knowledge and intelligence

Must be a Harry\Hermione ship

Story must start before he goes to Hogwarts (age 6-10)

Dumbledore must be a manipulator so he must be bashed

Snape can be good or bad

Has to have major Weasley bashing

It can be a bond fic if you want

Also if you get Sirius out of prison early you should have them stay near Hermione's house

Genres should be romance and whatever you choose

Rating can be whatever you want

 ** **Requirements for evil Harry****

Harry must use the Dursley's as test subjects for his new dark powers

With his knowledge of all the Death Eaters , he can use it to force them to join him (although this should only happen when he is older)

His animagus should be a Dementor, a Nudu and whatever else you want

He should not be in Gryffindor

Also you should have Harry listen to some heavy metal band like Deicide or Cradle of Filth (Awesome bands), it's your call

 ** **Requirements for good Harry****

His animagus should be basilisk and whatever else you want

Do not make him remorseful like Dumbledore; he should want to take down the Death Eaters

He should not go to Gryffindor


	2. Weak no more

**2: Weak No More**

 **D** isclaimer: I Don't own Harry Potter or Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir. If anyone wants to know I have based Harry's attitude in this fic off of the character Mordred in the movie Merlin starring Sam Neil. Great movie, which I don't own.

ChAOtiC ReApEr's Joined Souls challenge. EVIL!Harry. HHr. Bashing.

I added the challenge rules to the end A/N of the first chapter for those who wanted to know about it.

ReApEr, I hope this is up to your expectations.

 ** **The Dawn of a Golden Age****

* * *

 ** **I Am Atrocity****

 ** **Chapter II: Weak No More****

 **'** ** **My descent is the story of every man. I am hatred, darkness and despair.'****

 ** **-The Serpentine Offering by Dimmu Borgir****

 _"Now to Knockturn Alley."_

Harry exited the house and walked out into the street. He could feel the wards around number 4 and needed to get beyond them. Once he reached the edge of the wards he took a moment to study them. _"Dumbledore!"_ Harry wasn't sure who or what this 'Dumbledore' was but the word was accompanied by an image in his head of the old man with the long white beard.

Somehow he knew that if he dismantled these wards Dumbledore would be there in an instant to repair them and probably Obliviate him. This he could not allow, so he decided to leave the wards intact. Stepping passed the perimeter he concentrated and turned on the spot. He felt like he was being sucked through a straw at high speeds, and when he stopped he felt dizzy and slightly nauseous. He could also feel a drain on his magic, though it was slight.

Harry didn't even question the fact that he could use magic, it just seemed like second nature to do so. Like it was something he had been doing all his life. **_What was that?_** _"Apparation."_ ** _What's Apparation?_** _"Think of it like teleportation."_ Harry nodded in understanding but now something else was bothering him. **_Who are you? And how am I able to do all of this? How do I even know how?_** The voice was quiet for a moment. _"I am you, and you are me. For the sake of simplicity you may call me Tom. As for how you can do the things you have, you have always been able to do it. Or you would have if that bastard Dumbledore hadn't set a block on our magic. How do you know how to? Because I know how to. What you know, I know. What I know, you know. We now share a soul. We are one."_

Harry considered what he had just been told. He shared a soul with someone? He was magical?Someone had blocked his magic! He may have only known about magic for a little under an hour but thanks to Tom's knowledge he knew that this was a serious offense. **_Tom? Is the block still there?_** _"No, I took the liberty of breaking it while we were joining. That cold feeling you felt was your magic releasing into your veins. Magic is like blood, it flows through our bodies along the same routes as blood and without it we are nothing. If a wizard or witch loses their magic, they will die. Perhaps not right away or even for years after but they will. Because yours was blocked it was draining your strength, that coupled with your relatives' treatment of you was killing you much faster than normal. You were weak. But no more. Now we are strong. Together we are strong."_ Harry again thought about what he had just been told. **_But why would he block my magic if it would kill me?_** _"That I do not know, perhaps he wanted you dead, or perhaps he simply wanted you weak and docile enough to be easily controlled. With the amount of information we have, which is near nothing, I can only speculate."_

 ** _Okay, one more question. Why did you kill my parents?_** He could sense Tom thinking of a way to word his response. _"Their was a prophesy as you know...wait you already know the answers to all of this. Why are you asking me?_ ** _Because I want to hear you say it._** Harry answered him. _"Very well, they stood between me and immortality."_ Harry nodded, **_You do realize that I can never forgive you for that?_** _"Oh course, I wouldn't expect you to. Forgiveness is for the weak. And we are not weak. Turn left."_

Harry looked up. He hadn't even realized that he had been walking down a dark, dingy alleyway. He turned as Tom had told him to and found himself in front of a rundown looking shop with a sign that read:

 **Draven's Wands**

 **Est. 1376**

Harry entered the shop and following Tom's instructions stepped up to the counter and rung the bell that sat there. Almost as soon as the bell's toll faded a tall man with cropped dark hair, though it was beginning to gray, and a goatee appeared from behind a shelf on the other side of the counter. "Can I help you lad?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly.

"I need a wand." Harry told him in a firm, even tone.

"Well, obviously, seeing as this is a wand shop." The man replied. Before Harry could speak he continued. "Give me a minute," With that he turned back to the shelves behind him. ** _Tom, how am I to pay for the wand?_** _"I'll take care of that when the time comes."_ Harry mentally nodded. The man, who Tom informed him was named Brom Draven, returned with a box in his hand. "Here, try this one."

Harry took the wand and waved it. The result was a bookcase exploding. He handed it back to Brom who shook his head and set the wand aside. He pulled another from the shelf behind him. The result was much the same. They went through countless wands, each ending in disaster. Mr. Draven was rubbing his temples as if he had a headache. He randomly reached behind him and grabbed the first box he felt. He handed the wand to Harry who took it. As soon as it touched his hand sparks shot from the end of it.

"Finally," Mr. Draven said with a sigh. "12¼ inches, Ebony with an Acromantula hair. Hmm. That'll be seven galleons." Harry felt Tom take over his speech.

"Do you have Gringotts charge forms?" He asked.

Mr. Draven nodded and handed him a small slip of parchment. Harry filled in his information and pricked his finger for a drop of blood on the required section. With a pop the paper was gone. With that done Harry exited the shop and disapparated back to number 4.

The sight he beheld upon his arrival made his blood boil. They had not listened. His uncle was out in the driveway packing suitcases in the trunk of his car. When he caught sight of Harry watching him he froze. Harry walked up to him. "Get back in the house, Dursley," he told him in a threatening tone. Vernon didn't move.

"Now, you listen here freak, I'll not have you threatening my family. I say what goes around here, not you!" Vernon spat him.

"Really?" At Vernon's affirmative Harry pointed his newly acquired wand at him and, after quickly reviewing Tom's memories, muttered out a spell, " _Imperio!_ " Vernon went glassy eyed and turned around and waddled back through the front door with Harry following him. Once he was across the threshold he closed the door and locked it. He then drew upon Tom's memories again and erected soundproofing wards. He had Vernon call Petunia and Dudley into the living room. Once they were all gathered he released the curse and entered the room. He looked right at Petunia. "You disobeyed me."

She tried to stutter out a denial but he was hearing none of it. "Silence," he pointed his wand at her, " _Crucio!_ " She screamed and fell to the floor, where she writhed and screamed in absolute pain. "I said, 'Do not try to run, do not try to escape'. Did I not?" As he held Petunia under the torture curse Vernon and Dudley stood transfixed, their faces both showing signs of fear mingled with horror. Harry watched gleefully as his aunt thrashed about, tears running out of her eyes. Finally he lifted the curse. "Tsk tsk auntie, did you really think you could get away? Oh dear auntie, your crying. Are you okay? No? Good."

He then turned his wand on Vernon, "Now Uncle Vernon. You also tried to flee like the coward you are. I refuse to let this go unpunished. _Crucio!_ " Harry said all of this in the mocking, cold yet eerily polite tone that he had used that morning. Vernon thrashed about and screamed louder than Petunia had. Harry felt an immense feeling of joy, here was the man who had beat and starved him since he was old enough to walk, and whereas Harry had always at his mercy before, he was now at the mercy of the vengeful, cruel demon he had created. He had no one to blame for his predicament but himself, and Harry would make sure he suffered for every minute he had lain shattered and broken in the cupboard. No amount of Cruciatus exposure would ever be enough to make up for never once feeling loved, for never being treated as more than a beast. Nothing could ever make up for the hell he had been subject to every day of his entire life. They wanted a beast, well they got one. And it isn't going to bow down to filth such as them.

When he was satisfied that his uncle had learned his lesson for the day he turned his wand on Dudley. "Now Ickle Diddykins, what should we do with you. Should I kill you? Torture you just like your parents? Torture you then kill you?" He tapped his wand against his chin in thought, "Decisions, decisions."

* * *

A/N: Well there's chapter 2. Should Dudley live or die? You decide. Review if you want. No Flames.


	3. The Subtle Arts

**3: The Subtle Arts**

 **D** isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable.

 ** **The Dawn of a Golden Age****

* * *

 ** **I Am Atrocity****

 ** **Chapter III: The Subtle Arts of Murder and Persuasion****

 ** **'I will show you all that I have mastered: Fear, Pain, Hatred, Power!'****

 ** **-Ruin by Lamb of God****

"Decisions, decisions..."

As Harry pondered his cousins fate the boy in question stood rooted to the spot; a look of complete and utter fear on his face. _"Kill him."_ ** _I would love to Tom but it could cause unwanted complications._** _"Such as?"_ ** _Well, for one he has to attend school. If he never shows up then people will notice and start asking questions._** _"Then we kill them as well."_ ** _No, that would not be wise. We have to be smart about this._** _"Fine. Do it your way."_ Harry nodded. And pointed his wand at Dudley, who tensed up and closed his eyes. " _Crucio!_ "

Dudley let out a bloodcurdling scream and collapsed next to his parents. Harry held the curse for a few minutes then released him; he was a child, he couldn't take as much as his parents could...at least not all at once. He put him under again and held it for a few more seconds, he looked at Petunia who was still crying on the floor, "Auntie, how does it make you feel to see your precious little boy scream? Does it make you angry? Sad? Yes? That is simply delightful." he tortured Dudley again, "Duds, on your. I want to hear you beg for mercy." Dudley forced him self slowly to his knees.

"P-pl-please, h-have mercy...please."

"Good boy. Now Dudders, I'm not going to kill you...yet. You see, I need you alive in order to make sure your parents obey me in the future. If you want to live you will do everything I tell you, when I tell you. Got it?" Dudley nodded rapidly. "Good, now get up." He kicked Vernon and Petunia, "That goes for you too, all of it. Now all of you get up."

* * *

Dumbledore sat in his office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He glanced at the many instruments that set on his selves; they all appeared to be working fine. The day before, he had noticed that the instrument monitoring Harry's life-force had momentarily stopped working. He was just about to travel to Privet Drive to discover why when it started working again. He dismissed it as a glitch.

In three years the boy would be old enough to come to Hogwarts, once he arrived Dumbledore would begin to mold him into the martyr that he was meant to be, then the world would celebrate as Albus Dumbledore became the greatest wizard alive. No, the greatest wizard of all time.

He popped a lemon drop into his mouth and leaned back in his throne-like chair. In three years he would set his plans in motion, in three years he will have taken the first step towards true immortality.

* * *

Over the next three years Harry, with Tom's help, refined his skills in the dark arts to near perfection. The Dursleys had proven to be very obedient, never questioning him for fear that he would either kill one of them or torture them. But Harry was a fair lord, he didn't harm them for no reason; only when they didn't do as they were told; Tom was always telling him to _Crucio_ them for no reason and he would have to reprimand him. No one outside of them knew of what happened inside the confines of Number 4. Harry and Dudley still attended school, Vernon still went to work every morning and came home every afternoon. And Petunia still stayed at home taking care of the house and cooking dinner. The outside world was none the wiser.

During the first week Harry and Tom had studied the wards surrounding the house very closely. Having found that they were all tied to himself they transferred them to Dudley. If in the event that he killed Dudley, it would trigger the wards alarms, which he was sure would bring Dumbledore right to his doorstep. He wasn't ready to show his hand yet so he resolved to keep Dudley alive. He didn't tell the Dursleys this, he didn't need them thinking he was going soft or using Dudley to bring him down. He planned to keep the forces of 'light' in the dark for as long as possible.

He had used Tom's knowledge of magic to fashion a unique Occlumency shield. He had created a false mind around his real one. If someone attempted to use Occlumency on him they would meet no resistance, but neither would they find anything useful.

The date was June twenty-third 1991; Dudley's eleventh birthday. To keep up appearences he allowed them to buy him presents and have a cake. He was even going let them invite a few friends over. The day went without any problem.

The day after they were all sitting around the table for breakfast. Petunia had made a wonderful meal of bacon, eggs, toast and orange juice. "This is delicious Aunt Petunia." Harry told her in what for some would sound like a normal voice for a boy enjoying his breakfast, but the Dursleys knew better. When Harry was like this it meant that he telling them that they were doing good but not to mess it up; when he called Petunia 'Auntie' it meant that punishment was on its way. When he acted angry, he was angry. But if he acted overly sweet, polite or calm it meant that he was furious and a long torture session was soon to follow. These occurrences didn't happen as often as they used to; they had learned.

"Dudley," Harry looked at his cousin, "go and fetch the mail."

"Yes, Harry." With that the boy got up and headed for the front of the house.

"Uncle Vernon, I didn't get a chance to ask yesterday; did you close that deal with that company from France?"

"Yes, yes I did. My boss says that if I keep up the good work there may be a promotion in store for me." Vernon answered him.

"Good. Good. "

At that moment Dudley returned with a small stack of envelopes in his hand. He set them on the table before Harry and returned to his seat to finish his meal. Harry finished off his last piece of bacon before wiping his hand and picking up the mail. He sifted through it, handing each piece to the person it was addressed to. He got to the last envelope and discovered that it was addressed to him.

 **Mr. H. Potter**

 **The Cupboard Under the Stairs**

 **Number 4 Privet Drive**

 **Little Whinging, Surry**

 _"Ah, Dumbledore. Still as tactful as ever."_ Harry chuckled; all the Dursleys looked at him, startled. Yes, he still slept in the cupboard but, once again thanks to Tom's knowledge, he had enlarged it. It now held a full sized bed, a dresser full of clothes that fit, a stereo with CD's and a television in case he got bored. He had charmed the door so that he could see out but no one could see in, this way he could keep an eye on his relatives while in his 'room'.

He broke the seal and withdrew the pieces of parchment held within. The first was the standard Hogwarts letter received by first years and the second was a list of supplies that he would need. There was also a third, it was an acceptance form. He summoned a pen and quickly filled it out. As soon as the last line had been filled it vanished.

He stood, "Uncle Vernon, you had best get going; You don't want to be late or you won't get that promotion." He then returned to his 'room'. He hit the play button on his stereo and sat down on his bed up against the wall to listen. He closed his eyes and smiled as the sound of Cannibal Corpse's song 'Shredded Humans' reached his ears. He had discovered Metal music completely on accident. He had seen the cover of Slayer's 'Reign in Blood' album and was immediately intrigued. He bought the album and fell in love with it.

He jumped up and removed a clean set of clothes from his dresser and headed into the bathroom he had added to his 'room'. After a quick shower he exited the house without telling his aunt that he was leaving. He apparated to Knockturn Alley and then made his way out to Diagon Alley. His first stop was a shop that sold trunks. He bought a multi-compartment, auto-resizing trunk, which he shrunk and put in his pocket. His next stop was Flourish & Blotts where he purchased all of the required book as well as a few for his own amusement. He made his way through all of the required shops until he reached Ollivander's. He already had a wand but he had to keep up appearences, and that meant he had to play the nervous first year.

He entered the shop and appraised his surroundings. The shop was similar to Draven's only brighter. He slipped into his false mind and approached the counter. "Hello?" he asked timidly. The sound of metal sliding against wood drew his attention to the shelves behind the counter. An old man with wild white hair stepped off the rolling ladder and came toward him.

"Ah, I was wondering when I'd be seeing you, Mr. Potter." he moved off to scan the shelves. He pulled a box from the shelf and took the wand out of it. He handed the wand to Harry, who took it and looked back at Ollivander as if he didn't know what to do. "Give it a wave." He told him. Harry did as he was told and waved the wand at a vase which exploded. "Apparently not." Harry placed the wand carefully on the counter as if one wrong move would set it off again. Ollivander brought him another wand which knocked the contents of one of his shelves to the floor. "Nope, definitely not." This was starting to seem annoyingly familiar. And it was, He went through countless wands until Ollivander picked up a box and stared at it for a moment, "I wonder," he whispered.

He handed the wand to Harry and sparks shot from the tip, the sight was reminiscent of a firework show. "Curious, very curious." Ollivander said in what to many would be a mysterious way, it just begged you to ask 'what?'. Harry saw through it but in order to keep up his disguise he had to bite.

"Sorry, but what's curious?"

"I remember every wand I've ever sold Mr. Potter. And it just so happens that the phoenix who's tail feather resides in your wand gave another feather, just one other. It is curious that you would be destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar." _"Ha! In a twisted kind of way, that is funny. Guess it just shows how compatible we are with each other. Perhaps that is why it was so easy to merge our souls."_ ** _Maybe._**

After paying seven galleons (he charged it to his vault) he was heading back to Knockturn Alley to apparate back to privet drive when he caught sight of a 'pet shop' of sorts. He entered and began to browse the wide selection of animals. He seemed to be drawn to a beautiful Snowy Owl. She seemed to distrust him at first but with continued effort she warmed up to him. He named her Hedwig and purchased her along with a perch, a cage for travel and some treats which he stored in the trunk along with this school things. He carried her in the cage and disapparated back to Privet Drive as soon as he was out of Diagon Alley and in Knockturn Alley.

He arrived home and entered his room He returned his trunk to its proper size and removed the perch and treats. He waved his wand and a window that would allow Hedwig outside appeared in the wall. He then released her from the cage; she flew over to her perch and rested there.

 _"It has been three years since we became one, why must we continue to wait?"_ ** _Because Tom, the rise of my empire and Dumble's subsequent downfall must be perfectly timed. These things require patience; something you seem to be lacking._** _"Insolent child! Remember who it was who saved you!"_ ** _Only because you yourself were afraid to die._** _"Why you-"_ ** _Enough! This is pointless and will only result in giving me a headache. If we are to survive to see the birth of a new age we must learn to get along as we did in the beginning._** _"You were less willful then. And listened to my instructions. Now that you have learned everything that I have plus some, I feel so useless."_ ** _Don't think like that Tom, without you I would be nothing._** _"And don't you forget it."_ ** _You won't let me._**

That night at dinner Harry informed his relatives of his plans to attend Hogwarts. As expected they did not object. "Uncle Vernon, on the first of September you will be required to drop me off at King's Cross on your way to work. Understood?"

"Yes, Harry. I understand."

"Good," Harry then continued eating.

 **XXXX 9/1/91 September First.**

Harry stood casually near platforms nine and ten; he was waiting. If he knew Dumbledore, and he did, the old manipulative bastard would send someone to 'guide' him onto the proper platform to catch the Hogwarts Express. His attention was drawn to a group of redheads who were coming in his direction. He consulted his knowledge of wizarding families and came to one conclusion, Weasleys. Blood-traitors. Now Harry wasn't prejudice in the slightest, his own mother was muggle-born, but these people had always been followers of Dumbledore. The large woman at the front of the procession was yelling something, "...always packed with muggles. Now what was the platform number again?"

"It's platform 9¾ mummy." The little girl next to her said 'helpfully'.

 ** _Yup, definitely a set-up. Okay, I'll bite, for now._** He once again slipped into his 'mask' and followed them, acting like he was lost. "Excuse me." The woman looked at him with a smile of...triumph? "Could you..um..could you..could you tell me how to..how to..." he trail off while gesturing helplessly at the wall that some of her sons had just disappeared through.

"How to get onto the platform? Oh, coarse dear, it's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well." She gestured to the boy behind her who smiled at him smugly. Harry smiled back 'uncertainly', on the inside he was laughing at how easy it was to fool these people. "Now, what you want to do is get a nice running start and go straight at the wall between platforms nine and ten." If he wasn't already sure that it would work he would have thought that she was setting him up to embarrass himself.

"Good luck," the little girl told him. He ignored her completely, not even acknowledging that she had spoken.

He ran at the wall with a steady pace. He reached the wall and, as predicted, passed through it. Before him sat a scarlet steam engine, he took his luggage to the loading area before setting off to find a compartment.

* * *

 **A/N: Well that's that. Should Harry have a Dark Lord name? Example: Lord Voldemort. If you think so, I'll take suggestions, and if I see one I like then I'll use it. Review if you want. No Flames.**


	4. Temptation

4: Temptation

 **D**

isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable.

A/N: For the readers of The Boy Who Destroyed the World: part 2 should be out some time in the next few days. A week or so at most.

This chapter has been giving me trouble, but here it is. I didn't want to make this Hermione like the one from 'Destroy' so she may be a bit OOC or a lot, I'm not sure, either way I was going for a different take on Hermione..

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

* * *

 **I Am Atrocity**

 **Chapter IV: Temptation**

 **'Sometimes I tremble like a little child that faces morning with a broken smile,**

 **Some times I crumble when the shades unfurl,**

 **Sometimes I feel that I could rule the world.'**

 **-Rule the World by Kamelot**

Harry sat in a compartment near the front of the train, he was alone at the moment, though he didn't know how long this would last. He had already changed into his uniform so he wouldn't forget to later. _"Why must we wait? We are strong enough to take him now."_ ** _Be that as it may Tom, we must wait because, while we are strong enough now to take control, we do not have the support to stay there._** _"Rule by fear insures support. If they fear you they will not challenge you."_ ** _Untrue Tom. That kind of thinking will get us killed. Fear is a powerful emotion and can bring out the best or the worst in people. Some, like the Dursleys, can be easily controlled by fear. While there are others that would rise against us in order to end our reign of fear._** _"You think too much."_ ** _No, you don't think enough. Your solution to every thing is either 'CRUCIO!' or 'AVADA KADAVRA!'. It's a good thing I can block you from taking control or there would be no one left in all of Surry._** Tom was silent.

The train had begun moving while Harry was arguing with Tom and he had a feeling that he would be intruded upon soon. As if on cue the compartment door opened to reveal the youngest male Weasel. "Do you mind? All the others are full." _"Lies! There aren't enough students to fill this train to full capacity."_ ** _How would you know that?_** _"It's common sense, it's a magic train. It always has room."_ ** _Oh, well...we still have to play along._**

"Oh, not at all." He gestured to the seat opposite him.

"I'm Ron Weasley," he stuck out a dirt covered hand, the one that wasn't carrying a rat.. Harry shook it and had to physically stop himself from running to wash his own hand.

"I'm Harry Potter." _"What are you doing? We are supposed destroy them, not make friends with them."_ ** _I'm not making friends with him, I'm playing along. Make them think that I'm clueless about the magical world. Make them think that they are in control._**

"Really? Do you really have the scar?" Ron asked in an excited manner. _"Bastard, asking us about the scar like it's a great thing. It's not, I should know, I gave it to you."_

"Oh..uh..yeah." Harry pushed his hair out of his face to reveal the mark. _"What the..? What are you doing!"_ ** _Letting him believe he has the upper hand._**

"Wicked!"

 _"Is not you little son of a bitch! Let me kill him! PLEASE!"_ ** _No, Tom._** _"I said 'please'."_ ** _And I said no. It would ruin everything. He may be an immature git with no care for others' emotions but we must keep up appearences. Besides, I'll need servants later._** _"You could find someone more useful than him in a cemetery."_ ** _The tombstones alone display more intelligence than what he is._**

Ron was talking about how he had acquired his rat or some such thing; Harry wasn't really listening, just nodding every once in a while. He was thinking of a plan to 'manipulate the manipulator's manipulations', when the perfect opportunity presented itself. A kind looking old lady stopped outside the compartment to offer them sweets. Ron declined as he pulled a rather disgusting-looking balled up sandwich out of his pocket. Harry, having stopped at Gringotts the day before and withdrew some money, withdrew a handful of galleons and bought five of everything. Ron devoured the majority of it, Harry just settled for a blood-pop. The name had intrigued him, and he wasn't disappointed. It really did taste like blood, he had had his mouth busted enough in the past to know. Though he began to worry about his sanity when he discovered that he liked it. He placed the candy back down and acted disgusted. "Yeah, I should have told you not to try those, they're awful," Ron said this with his mouth full so the words were nearly impossible to understand.

He watched the redhead swallow all of the food in his mouth at once, the action looked painful but Ron didn't even hesitate to start shoving more in. _"Harry?"_ ** _Yeah?_** _"I think I'm gonna be sick." Y_ ** _eah, me too._** Harry was just about to excuse himself when a girl appeared in the doorway. She had bushy brown hair and the most beautiful eyes Harry had ever seen; she had her mouth open to speak, her front teeth were slightly big but not so bis that they were unsightly, but when she caught sight of Ron gorging himself the words died in her throat and were soon replaced by vomit. She turned her gaze away while trying to control her gag reflex. When she finally did look up she was looking at Harry while doing her best to ignore sickening sounds coming from the compartments other resident.

"Have you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one," she asked Harry.

A light bulb turned on in Harry's head, "No, but I'll help you look for it." Without waiting for her to reply he was up and out the door, dragging the girl with him.. **_Anything to get away from that...that...gah I can't think of anything bad enough to describe him._** _"Just calling him 'Weasley' is insult enough in my book. But what happened to playing along?"_ ** _I didn't expect to have to endure that...that...nausea inducing spectacle._**

"Um...could you let me go now?" the girls voice broke through his internal conversation. He hadn't even realized that he still had a hold of her arm.

Harry let go as if he had been shocked. "Oh, uh...sorry."

"It's okay." she smiled up at him. She was grateful that she was out of that compartment and away from that boy, and apparently so was he. She stuck out her hand, "I'm Hermione Granger, if you don't mind me asking: who are you?"

"Oh um...I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

Hermione looked surprised for a second as she studied him, he was starting to grow uncomfortable. "What?" he asked her in a worrying manner.

"You're not as tall as I thought you would be," she said simply.

 _"WHAT! Did she just call us short? CRUCIO!"_ ** _Calm down Tom, we've been called worse...way worse._** _"CRUCIO!"_ ** _Stop trying to curse her, it won't work._** _"Dammit!"_ Harry chuckled at Tom's antics, then he noticed that Hermione was looking at him like he mad. He raised his brow, daring her to say something. She looked like she was going to comment but then closed her mouth. Harry nodded in approval and turned around to search for a new compartment in which to spend the rest of the train ride.. He remembered what he had said on the way out of Ron's compartment, "Did you already check all of these?"

She looked confused for a moment before it clicked, "Yes, actually I've already checked the whole train." He nodded and kept walking. At about halfway he found an empty compartment and entered. _"Surprise, surprise. What did I tell you?"_ ** _You were right._**

Harry took a seat next to the window and Hermione sat across from him. He looked up at her, "So, Hermione, that's from...Shakespeare right?" Harry had discovered Shakespeare at the same time as Poe, and they had both become his favorites, Poe ranked first though.

"Um, yeah. My mother is a big fan of Shakespeare and liked the name."

"Are your parents magical as well?" _"Good question."_

"No, no one in my family is. It was quite a shock to us all when I got my letter."

"Oh." _"She is a mudblood! We must not associate with mudbloods, only pure-bloods. We will kill her along with the rest when the time comes"_ ** _I see no problem with her blood status. And we may not have to kill her if we can get her on our side. We need allies. Besides that, aren't you beinghypocritical? You support the pure-blood agenda yet both you and I are half-bloods._** Tom was quiet. ** _Well, time for step one._** "Hermione, would you like to be my friend? I've never had a friend before and well..." he trailed off 'uncertainly'. It was true, he had never had a friend, but then again he had never wanted one.

She smiled brightly at him, "Of course I'll be your friend Harry. The truth is...I've never had any friends either," she finished looking extremely sad about the fact.

Harry smiled at her; it was meant as a comforting smile, and it was, but Hermione could see something else in Harry's eyes, it lurked just beneath the surface. Whatever it was it did not look pleasant, yet she found for some reason this did not bother her one bit. "Those days are over." She smiled again.

"What house do you think you will be in?"

"I don't know, honestly. What about you?"

"I don't know either. Probably Ravenclaw."

"Hmm, perhaps. Perhaps not."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing you need worry about," he told her with a dismissive gesture, she once again caught a glimpse of something dark in his eyes; yet again, she wasn't bothered by it. It appeared sinister in nature yet she felt, for some unknown reason, that it wasn't aimed against her.

"Either way, I hope we are in the same house. Now that I have a friend I don't want to give you up," she said, while blushing beautifully. Harry felt a slight tug in his chest.

 ** _Tom, what was that?_** _"Your magic. It calls out for hers."_ ** _I don't understand._** _"Nor do I, but I intend to find out as soon as possible."_ ** _Looks like we may have some research to do once we arrive at school._** _"Indeed we do."_

"Neither do I Hermione, neither do I." He whispered so low that she almost didn't hear him; but she did hear, and the words only made her happier.

They fell into a comfortable silence as the train continued on its way to their destination.

* * *

When the train finally came to a halt the sun had fallen and night had begun its reign. Sometime during the last hour or so Hermione had fallen asleep and now lay slightly curled on the opposite seats. Harry gently shook her awake and told her that they had arrived. She stood and stretched out the stiffness in her limbs and smoothed out her wrinkled clothing. Harry grabbed her hand and began to lead her off the train.

When they exited out onto the platform they immediately heard a loud booming voice calling out for first years. They followed the voice until they were standing before a giant of a man and Harry was wondering how he had missed him when he had scanned the crowd for threats as he always did when he went out of his house. _"Wow, Hagrid got big."_ Tom commented in slight awe. Harry chuckled, that was an understatement of massive proportions. _"Oh, shit he's seen us."_ Harry ignored Tom and stood next the large man.

"Harry? Is that you?"

"Yes. And you are?"

"Rubeus Hagrid, I'm the groundskeeper at Hogwarts. I new yer parents, before they died."

Harry carried on a short conversation with Hagrid, further expanding his small sphere of influence. Harry was slightly thrown when Hagrid made a comment about him and Hermione, "Gettin' started a bit early ain't ya?" he asked gesturing to their still joined hands. Harry hadn't even realized that he was holding her hand until then but he didn't let go as she didn't seem to be protesting.

After sailing across the lake in tiny little rowboats they found themselves waiting in the entrance hall. Professor McGonagall had left them a few minutes ago. Harry was studying the other kids around him. None of them seemed to be a threat to him, nor did any appear useful. He found himself disappointed.

"So it's true then,what they were saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts this year." Harry turned his gaze to the speaker, a small pointy-faced boy with greasy-looking slicked back blonde hair. The boy walked up to him as if he owned the place and expect Harry to fall to his knees and bow. Well, he had another thing coming. "The name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Ron, who was standing a little behind Harry, snickered at the boy's name. "What? You think my name is funny? Well, Ive no need to ask for yours. Red hair and a hand-me-down robe, you are a Weasley. A blood-traitor." He turned back to Harry, "You'll soon find that some wizarding families are better than others, I can help you there." He held his hand out to shake. Harry ignored it.

"I'm quite confident that I can distinguish the less favorable families for my self. And yours isn't one of them," he said the next part low enough so that only Malfoy could hear him, Tom's rage could just barely be heard underneath Harry's mockingly polite voice, "After all, your father turned his back on his master when there was no proof that he was gone. And I can promise you that your entire bloodline will suffer from his folly. Along with the rest of the inner circle, they will all beg for mercy at my feet, then they will live the life that I lived for so many years. If they refuse, well that isn't an option...not if they wish to live that is." He smiled maliciously at the pale Malfoy standing before him, a smile that promised a future filled with suffering for any who opposed him. "I wonder how your mother and father will like being treated worse than a house elf...hmm...now that is a beautiful image." With that he turned his back to the boy, Malfoy didn't take to kindly to being dismissed and was about to shoot his mouth off when McGonagall returned, probably saving the git's worthless life.

"We are ready for you now, follow me."

She led them into the Great Hall, Hermione was telling him how she had read in 'Hogwarts: A History' that the ceiling was bewitched to resemble the night sky, then they reached the front of the hall.

"Would you all please wait right here, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words."

The elderly Professor stood from his seat, "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. First years please make note that the Forbidden forest is strictly, well forbidden to all students. And to all, the third floor corridor is off limits to any who do not wish to die. Thank you." he smiled at the end, his eyes twinkling merrily. _"Cryptic and manipulative as always. Just by saying that I'm sure that more than a few will want to go to the third floor. Though I doubt that any will be brave enough."_

Harry's attention was brought back to McGonagall when she began to speak, "Now when I call your name, you will come up here and sit on this stool, I will then place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorted into your houses.

* * *

 **A/N: This gave me a bit of trouble. Review if you want, No Flames. I have set up a Poll on my profile for Harry's Dark Lord name, I took the suggestions made by a few of you and added them to the ones that I was already considering. So stop by and vote if you please.**

 **-Atrocity.**


	5. Cry of the Blackbirds

5: Cry of the Blackbirds

 **D**

isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable.

A/N: I had to restart the poll because my computer stalled and my poll got deleted accidentally, I posted a new improved poll on my profile. If you would all be so kind as to recast your votes. (I added a few new names, and removed the 'none' option as I really want him to have a name, and you are allowed three votes.

Sorry for the inconvenience of this.

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

* * *

 **I Am Atrocity.**

 **Chapter V: Cry of the Blackbirds**

 **'Elegantly put. 'Who the devil?', yes indeed. Who the devil?'**

 **-Mordred, when Arthur asks him 'Who the devil are you?', Merlin 1998 (film)**

A bit of dialogue that was cut from the previous chapter:

 _"Look Harry, it's Dumbledore. Can I kill him?"_ ** _No._** _"Please?"_ ** _No._** _"Please?"_ ** _No._** _"Please please please please please please please please please please pppplllleeeeaaaaassssseeeee?"_ ** _No._** _"Dammit!"_

The sorting began with a small blonde girl named Hannah Abbott, Harry didn't pay much attention until Hermione was called. She reluctantly released his hand and approached the stool. _"Bet you an hour of control that she becomes a blasted Gryffindor."_ Tom said. **_I'll take that bet against you refraining from calling her a mudblood._** _"Then what would I call her?"_ ** _How about her name?_** _"Fine."_ Harry turned his attention back to his friend who was now sitting nervously on the stool with the Sorting Hat on her head. All was quiet for a moment before, "RAVENCLAW!"

 _"Dammit! CRUCIO! AVADA KADAVRA! Why isn't this working!"_ Harry chuckled lightly. **_I win._** _"Damn you Harry! CRUCIO! CRUCIO!"_ Harry just shook his head and ignored Tom's continued to rant about how he would not show respect to a muggle-born (he almost said 'mudblood' but caught himself, which frustrated him even more).

Hermione smiled triumphantly and walked to the Ravenclaw table with a bounce in her step. The sorting continued with Harry still not paying much attention until he heard his name called. The entire hall went deathly quiet. He stepped up to the stool and sat down. _"This should be interesting."_ This was the last thing Harry heard before the Sorting Hat was placed on his head and blocked his vision more than his chin-length hair ever could. "Hmm, now that is interesting. Hello again Tom." _"Hello."_ "Hello to you as well Mr. Potter." **_Um..hello._** "Where should I put you? Slytherin? You could do very well there I think." **_No, that's too obvious. No need to have Dumbledore snooping around any more than he already does._** "Perhaps Gryffindor, you have plenty of courage." **_I'm sure that that is exactly where he wants me to go, and while I want him to underestimate me, I refuse to bow to his wishes. So, no. And not Hufflepuff either, while it would be the perfect place to hide, it has the disadvantage of producing people of sheep-like quality. That will come in handy later but not now. We'll go with Ravenclaw._** "Very well."

"RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaw table erupted into thunderous applause as he made his way over to them. He took the seat next to Hermione as the sorting continued. He did catch a glimpse of Dumbledore looking mildly surprised at this turnout. And he could almost hear the old incompetent bastard trying to figure out what had just happened.

When the final student had been sorted Dumbledore stood and said rather theatrically, and unnecessarily in Harry's opinion, "Let the feast, begin." No one needed to be told twice, as soon as the food appeared everyone began to dig in. Harry filled his plate with a moderate amount of food, he didn't want to over eat, and began to eat after wandlessly and silently checking his and Hermione's food for any harmful substances; he found none. While he ate he carried on a conversation with Hermione until Tom interrupted him, _"Harry, there are parts of me nearby."_ ** _What? What do you mean? How do you know?_** _"They are part of me, I would recognize the magical signature anywhere."_ ** _Some of your Horcruxes?_** _"Yes, one. And something else, it feels more alive and is mixed with the life-force of another."_ ** _Can you trace them?_** _"Give me a moment."_ Hermione was watching Harry with concern, he had stopped and gone slightly stiff during the middle of their conversation; and she could see that darkness fading in and out of his eyes. Then it was gone and Harry had a troubled expression on his face. Then suddenly it was back.

 _"Found them. One is on the seventh floor."_ ** _And the other?_** _"About thirty feet behind you and to the right."_ Harry turned to where Tom had said and found himself looking at two men. The first was a pale skinned man with dark hair and the other was a similarly pale man that was wearing a turban; he knew instantly that the second man was the one that Tom was referring to. He could feel the tainted magic emanating of him from this distance. **_Do you think that he could be in the same situation as we are?_** _"No, we are merged in soul, a mutualistic relationship, we both benefit from this. Their relationship is more like a parasite and its host."_ ** _So the man is unwilling?_** _"Not necessarily. I just meant that he will be slowly weakened by it and will eventually die earlier than he normally would."_ ** _We can't allow that soul fragment to live, they both must die._** _"Can you kill Harry? I know that you can cause pain and despair in others but do you have what it takes to end a life?"_ ** _I can, and when the time comes I will do so with a smile on my face._** _"We shall see. If I feel that you are incapable of the job then I will take over."_

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked him as soon as the black cleared from his eyes; she didn't know this but his eyes would flash between green and black when he was conversing directly with Tom.

"I'm fine," he answered he easily, it wasn't a lie.

She looked a little skeptical but let it go, for now.

The rest of the meal passed with idle chit-chat and comfortable silences. After dinner they were led, along with the other Ravenclaw first years, to the Ravenclaw tower. When the reach the entrance, which was a large portrait which would tell them a riddle which they would have to solve in order to enter, the prefect called upon a volunteer to solve the riddle. He chose some girl named Padma to solve it.

While they waited for her to gain them entrance Tom decided to ask him a question which he deemed important. _"Harry, have you given any thought to your new name?"_ ** _Not really, I do want one though. It's just hard to find a suitable name._** _"Why do you wish to take one anyway?"_ ** _My name represents the savior, the champion of the 'light'. I don't want to smear my families good name with the sins that must be committed along the way. The costs of building an Empire are great._** _"I understand."_

He snapped out of his inner dialogue when the portrait swung aside to allow them into the common room. He made his way in and walked to where the prefect had told them the dorms were. He bid Hermione goodnight, to which responded in kind, before heading up the boys staircase to the first year boys dorm.

There was a bathroom connected to the dorm so he went in and brushed his teeth then exited and determined which bunk was his. After locating his trunk he changed into his sleepwear and climbed into his four poster bed, he closed the curtains, cast a privacy charm around him, put his wand under his pillow, pulled the covers up to his chin and settled in to sleep. This was how he did things every night.

He fell asleep quickly and did not stir until morning. He used to have nightmares before he became one with Tom, but tom, not having to sleep, blocked the dreams from his subconscious during the nighttime hours.

The next morning Harry woke up before anyone else in his dorm and, after getting dressed in his school robes, headed down to the common room. He was greeted by the sight of his bushy haired friend sitting in a chair by the fire reading a book. Upon closer inspection he discovered that it was their charms text, which she had claimed to have memorized. She had told him this when they were talking on the train, when she had described her love of academics to him.

"Good morning Hermione." Harry greeted, causing the young witch to jump from the sudden noise.

"Oh, Harry don't do that. You nearly gave me a heart attack. Good morning."

Harry smiled lightly at her startled expression. "Calm down Hermione."

She stuck her tongue out childishly at him, to which he just laughed at her.

Their first day of classes was on the whole, uneventful. McGonagall had them write an essay, sprout had them studying some plant that Harry forgot the name of. Flitwick spent the entire class talking about the importance of charms and Snape was a complete and total asshole. He had started out by giving some speech about potions and how they were 'art'; Harry really doubted that anyone ever really made potions just for the hell of it, or to admire. Then when he noticed that Harry wasn't listening to him and was instead (though only Harry knew this) he was playing a game of Hangman with Tom in his head, he tried to embarrass Harry with a sudden pop quiz on information that they would not learn for a long time yet. Harry surprised many of the others in the class by not only answering the questions correctly but by giving more information then was required. This served only to piss Snape off even more and he took ten points from Ravenclaw for Harry's 'cheek'. Tom fumed at how his former servant was treating them and called Snape quite a few colorful names and promising him a slow death, the one that had Harry 'looking' at Tom like he was crazy was when he called Snape 'a shit covered flea tangled up in the hair of a Yeti's greasy cunt'. He would never be able to look at the greasy-haired potions master with a straight face, or without the urge to vomit. It didn't help that Hermione had to make a casual comment wondering about why Professor Snape's hair was so greasy.

Their first flying lesson was boring to say the least; Harry spent the whole time planning on how to build up his support. He figured that first he would need an inner circle, those who would be his eyes and ears around Hogwarts and would become his most trusted lieutenants when the time came for an open campaign. He already had Hermione, he just hoped that when she learned of his true goals that she wouldn't abandon him; he didn't want to lose his first friend. His circle would have to include students from all of the houses so he was scouting the Hufflepuffs during class and had settled on two potential allies, surprisingly both were female. Hannah would be useful because of her personable nature, he was sure that she would be able gather any information needed without any real effort on her part; Susan could be used to influence her aunt and gain internal Ministry support, if she did things right. All in all a very uneventful yet not completely useless day.

* * *

 **A/N: I had a bit of trouble with this chapter. Review if it pleases you. No Flames.**

 **Again, my computer 'stalled' on me when I was checking up on my poll and it accidentally got deleted, so if you all would be so kind as to recast your votes. I added some names and increased the number of votes you can have so yeah.**

 **The next week or so is going to be very busy for me so updates may take longer than usual. Sorry.**

 **-Atrocity.**


	6. All Hallows

6: All Hallows

 **D**

isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable.

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews, and to those who voted.

In my stories there are a lot of things that happen off the page, or off-screen as it were, that are referenced to or just summarized. Just making that clear so the time skips are easier understood.

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

* * *

 **I Am Atrocity**

 **Chapter VI: All Hallows**

 **'This day so hallowed, from here to forever its will I will follow.'**

 **-Fall Children by AFI**

Harry ran as fast as his legs would carry him, taking steps three at a time as he bolted from the second floor to the third. It was after curfew and Filch had seen if exiting the corridor that held the entrance to the kitchens. Harry hadn't stuck around to get a detention for being out after hours and ran as soon as he saw the older man. Now to top it off he was hiding in the forbidden third floor corridor. He reached a door at the end and tried to open it. It was locked. Using a suggestion from Tom he muttered a quick wandless unlocking charm a entered the room, slamming the door closed behind him.

He pressed his ear to the old wood of the door and listened for any signs of pursuit. After five minutes and hearing nothing he breathed a sigh of relief and leaned his back against the door and slid into a sitting position. _"That was close."_ ** _Yeah. But I need to get into better shape, I'm exhausted._** _"Well, you did just run up to the fifth floor from the kitchens, then back down to the third floor with out taking a moment to rest. I think it is understandable that you are tired."_ ** _Yeah..now we had better get back. By the way, where are we?_** _"That is a simple answer Harry. We, meaning you and me, are on the third floor, in the forbidden corridor, sitting on the floor in a locked room about to be eaten by a hungry Cerberus."_ ** _Oh OK, that explains a lo- wait what? Cerberus!_**

Harry looked up and sure enough he came face to faces with an enormous three-headed dog. He stood, slowly as not to startle it, and as quietly as possible began to open the door. He tugged on the handle gently and the door began to swing out behind him. Everything was going according to plan until the hinges gave a loud long creak. He froze for a split second before throwing himself backwards away from the snapping jaws of the beast before him. As he fell he whipped out his wand and fired a blasting hex at the head that tried to follow him. With another flick of his wand the door slammed shut and the lock bolted into place.

 _"That was even closer. That puppy was big."_ ** _No shit! What do you mean puppy!_** _"Oh, you didn't think that it was cute?"_ ** _No! In case you didn't notice: the thing tried to eat us!_** _"Of course I noticed. I'm the one who brought it to your attention after all."_ ** _Whatever...What the hell is Dumbledore thinking keeping that thing here!_** _"I don't think he was."_ ** _Well it is my personal opinion that he should change his name to Bumblemore._** _"He does do that a lot doesn't he? I mean he goes right out and tells the entire school not to come in here or they will die; when people here that kind of stuff its the first thing they do!"_ ** _Yeah...now we really should get back to the tower._**

As he regained his feet he stored his wand back in the proper wand holster, he kept his first wand on his right arm and his newer wand on his left. While at the school he only used the Holly wand, and his left hand to give the impression that he was left handed, no one would expect it when he used his dominate hand and a second wand. He hoped that he wouldn't have to duel anyone with both wands because that would mean that his entire cover was blown. If someone discovered that he had two wands then they want to know how and why, they could trace it back to Draven in Knockturn Alley, they could discover the Dursleys who would take the opening to escape his grasp. His dream of a beautiful golden future would die with him when Bumbles came for him. He wasn't ready to face the supposed 'Leader of the Light'. The time was not yet right.

He reached the entrance to the common room and ended his train of thought. After solving the riddle to enter he walked in and took a seat on the couch in front of the fire. **_Ah, safe and sound in the tower._** _"Yes, and we can now discuss what we saw in that chamber."_ ** _What are you talking about?_** _"There is something strange going on in this school. First two of my soul pieces are here, one is possessing our teacher and the other is hidden on the seventh floor, and now a Cerberus guarding a trap door. It doesn't feel right."_ ** _Trap door?_** _"Yes, didn't you notice that it was standing on it?"_ ** _No, I was too busy escaping an early grave._** _"Oh, well I guess that that would take priority over observing your surroundings, so I'll let it slide this time."_ He could practically see the amused smirk on Tom's face when he said this. **_Yeah yeah. So what are we going to do about it?_** _"Kill it?"_ There was a hint of hope in Tom's voice. **_And, pray tell, how are we going to kill a trap door, and how would that solve anything?_** _"I meant the dog, but your idea works too."_ ** _We can't kill the dog, someone would be bound to notice. And no it would not work._** _"Hmm, Dammit why do you always have to be right?"_ ** _Because one of us has to be the smart one of this group._** _"What are you talking about? Your Pinky and I'm the Brain!"_ ** _Oh gods, please don't start that again!_** _"The Pinky, the Pinky and the Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain!"_ ** _Your singing voice could kill Mandrakes._** _"Your singing voice makes me want to punch babies."_ ** _That good huh?_** _"Not in the slightest."_ They continued their lighthearted banter for another hour before Harry decided to go to bed.

The next morning he made his way down to the common room and was greeted by the now expected sight of Hermione sitting by the fire reading. He descended the remaining steps and took a seat in the chair opposite her. He said nothing and just waited for her to notice his presence. It didn't take very long, she paused in her reading for a moment to scribble down some notes and caught sight of him when she was turning back to the page she had been reading. She gave a small smile and a 'good morning' before turning back to her reading.

"Hermione? What is the date?" Harry asked as he dug through his bag to find his homework that was due that day, only problem was that he couldn't remember what day it was.

"Friday, October 31st." She answered without looking up.

"Oh OK, thanks." He paused, October 31st? **_Last night was Devil's Night and we didn't burn anything?_** _"Guess so. Look on the bright side, we found a puppy, and what a cute little puppy it was!"_ ** _You seriously need mental help._** _"Hey, if I do then you do! We're in this together, remember?"_

At breakfast he was joined by his full circle at the Ravenclaw table, they all sat at the end farthest from the staff table and closest to the doors. Next to him at his left sat Hermione, to his right sat Neville Longbottom, even further to his right on the other side of Neville sat Susan Bones. Across from Hermione sat Tracey Davis from Slytherin, next to her and directly across from Harry sat Daphne Greengrass also of Slytherin. Next to her and across from Neville sat Cedric Diggory, and in the last seat across from Susan sat Hannah Abbott. All of these students were part of his study group, though in reality it was just his way of gaining their trust; surprisingly, Cedric had sought him out instead of the other way around. He said it was so he could keep an eye on Hannah and Susan as he had taken a kind of older brother role in their lives. That's how it started, he was now friends with them all. It didn't surprise Harry that he had more Hufflepuffs in his group than any other house, after all Hufflepuff was the house of the loyal. All it took was Harry telling them that he wanted to be their friend and they were in. The 'friend' role had started out as a ruse but he found himself actually starting to like them all. The only person that had not been accepted under false pretenses was Hermione.

After they finished their meals they all went their separate ways, Harry, Hermione, Susan and Hannah to Transfiguration and Neville, Tracey and Daphne to Potions. Cedric headed off to Charms.

Their classes passed quickly and soon they were leaving Potions and heading outside for break. Hermione had excused herself on the way so she could make a stop at the bathroom.

Harry was getting worried when Hermione didn't show up at their normal gathering point in the courtyard, nor did she show up for the rest of their classes. When dinner started and she still had not shown up his worry reached a peak. He stood and walked a little ways down to where Padma Patil was sitting. "Padma?"

She turned to look at him, "Yes?"

"You seen Hermione by any chance have you?"

She could here the near panic in his voice, "She's in the girl's bathroom. Crying."

"Why is she crying?"

"Um..well.."

"Answer me," he demanded in a dangerously calm tone.

Though she wasn't sure why, Padma was suddenly in fear for her life. "Well, she had a run in with Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy, then with Ron Weasley. I'm not sure exactly what was said but it must have been bad enough to hurt her."

The edges of his vision began to go red, "And why were you hesitant to tell me this?"

"Because they threatened me with physical harm if I told anyone. I didn't want to say but...they were hitting her too. All three of them."

The next thing Harry knew he was being restrained by Cedric and Neville, he was struggling to get loose from them and at the redhead sitting smugly at the Gryffindor table. He could hear them telling him to calm down and violence wouldn't solve anything but at the moment he really didn't care.

His rage was interrupted when the doors burst open to reveal a frantic Quirrell. "Troll! Troll in the dungeon." he then fainted. As one every student in the Great Hall began screaming, all except Harry who had slipped from Cedric's grasp and bolted out the door in the direction of the girl's bathroom that was near the dungeons. _"How do you know that she is here?"_ ** _Because this is the way my magic is pulling me, can't you feel it?_** _"Barely.."_ Harry reached his destination and wrenched the door open. He hurried inside. "Hermione?"

He received no answer but he could now hear sniffles coming from one of the stalls. He rushed over to it and knocked on the door. "Go away!" came the familiar voice of Hermione from the other side.

"Hermione it's me, Harry. Come on, we've got to get out of here. There's a troll loose in the castle!"

The door opened, "What?"

Harry didn't answer, he was too busy planning as many violent and painful ways he could to kill Malfoy, Parkinson and Weasley. Hermione's right eye was framed in a bruise as was her left cheek, and her bottom lip was split. Hermione noticed the black creeping into Harry's eyes and asked him what was wrong, "I'll kill them." was all he said as he gently cupped her bruised cheek. She leaned unconsciously into his touch.

Harry seemed to come back to reality as he grabbed her hand and began pulling her out of the bathroom. They were halfway to the door when it was broken from its hinges. The troll moved into the room with its club dragging behind it.

Harry pushed Hermione back towards the corner of the room and drew his wand. He moved to the center of the room so as to draw the troll's attention away from her. It raised its club and brought it down at him, Harry jumped to the side and fired off a quick _Diffindo_ at the troll's side. The spell sliced a thin line across its ribs, which began to flow with blood. It howled in rage or pain, he couldn't tell, and took another swing at him. The blow leveled the stalls closest to him and he had to dive to avoid both the club and the debris. He continued to hit it with cutting curses as he dodged it. Slowly it began to weaken, its swings became less powerful, its movements became sluggish.

This continued for a few more minutes before Harry fired a _BombardaMaxima_ directly into its breast as it raised its club above its head. The beast stumbled back and fell, the club which it had held suspended came crashing down onto its skull, which then shattered. The force of the blow sent blood, skull fragments and brain matter flying out to coat both Harry and the walls. He smiled down at the corpse.

Harry walked around the now dead troll, being sure to avoid the blood now pooling around its body. He made his way over to where Hermione was, she stared at him with a mixture of fear and relief. He paused, seeing her looking at him with fear in her eyes hurt. Hoping to reassure her he removed his bloodstained outer robe and returned his wand to its holster. He continued his approach, moving slowly so she would have time to protest or run if she wished. _"Why is she afraid?"_ ** _Wouldn't you be too if you had just witnessed your best friend viciously kill a full grown Mountain Troll, and smile about it?_** _"I see your point, I think she needs a hug!"_ Harry silently agreed and gently pulled Hermione into his embrace. She didn't struggle but instead threw herself into him and began to cry. He stroked her hair in what he hoped was a soothing manner. Finally her tears began to slow and her sobs turned to light sniffs and she nuzzled her face into his chest.

"I was so scared Harry," she told him, he voice slightly muffled by his shirt.

"Yeah, you and me both." she squeezed him tighter, as if afraid that he would disappear and replace the troll as the corpse on the floor. In turn he increased his hold on her.

At that moment the sound of running feet reached their ears; Professors McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell came into the room.

McGonagall gave a scream when she saw the troll, but then went pale as she became aware of its condition. Snape was staring at it in shock and Quirrell was looking at Harry and Hermione with an unreadable expression.

"Great job Professors, it's good to see that the staff here does so well at protecting their students. I mean, your reaction time is spot on. You would have arrived just in time to find a much smaller corpse if I hadn't beat you here." Harry's voice caused McGonagall to jump, she hadn't even noticed him and Hermione standing there. Harry pulled Hermione closer to him and began to guide her out of the room, "Now if you don't mind I'm going to take Hermione up to the hospital wing." With that he and Hermione left three professors standing in shock.

They arrived at the hospital wing and Harry informed Madam Pomfrey of _everything_ that had happened to Hermione. Hermione herself just stayed quiet while Harry talked. Ten minutes later Madam Pomfrey had confined both of them to a bed, much to Harry's annoyance. _"Why do we have to stay here?"_ ** _I don't know._** _"It's not like we are hurt."_ ** _I know. At least Hermione is OK._** _"I agree, I never thought it would happen but I've grown quite fond of her."_ ** _That makes two of us._** _"What are we going to do about those who hurt her?"_ ** _They will receive a slow and painful death at my hands. Soon._** _"Good."_

Harry glanced over to the bed next to his and found that Hermione had fallen to sleep. He smiled at her before removing his useless glasses, his eyes had been fixed when Tom merged with him and only kept them to add another reason for his enemies to underestimate him. He set them on the table beside his bed and descended into slumber.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, there is that. I'm not to sure about the quality of this chapter. Oh well, Review if you want. No Flames.**

 **The Poll is officially closed.**


	7. Blood Eagle

7: Blood Eagle

 **D**

isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable.

A/N: This chapter took longer than I expected. Sorry.

 **WARNING!: There is a Torture/Execution scene in this chapter that gets pretty brutal. You may skip it if you wish but you may miss some important details. It begins soon after the section marked 'Christmas Eve'.**

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

* * *

 **I Am Atrocity**

 **Chapter VII: Blood Eagle**

 **'I whispered in her ear, "you better fear me dear, for I am Death".'**

 **-For Stevie Wonder's Eyes Only (Braille) by Bring Me the Horizon**

 **'This world is never enough, and I'm not giving it up. My faith in love is like blood, I'd spill it freely for some...'**

 **-Forever May Not Be Long Enough by Live**

Harry groaned softly as he emerged from sleep, his mind trying to process the memories he had from the night before. He remembered Hermione not showing up for classes, he remembered fighting a troll in a bathroom, and he remembered taking Hermione to the hospital wing and getting stuck there himself despite the fact that he was perfectly fine. Then he remembered why he had gone to that bathroom, why Hermione hadn't shown up for class and one of the reasons he had taken her to the hospital wing: Malfoy, Parkinson and Weasley. Just thinking their name filled him with rage.

He opened his eyes and blinked a few times to clear them. He tried to raise his arm to rub the sleep from his eyes but found that he couldn't lift it. Confused he looked down and came face to face with a mass of brown hair. Hermione lay there snuggled into his side with her head resting on his chest and one of her arms draped across his abdomen; he couldn't lift his arm because it was wrapped around her. His confusion only lasted a second longer as another memory came to the forefront of his mind. He remembered waking up sometime during the night to someone crawling into his bed with him, he knew who it was the instant her hair came in contact with the exposed skin of his arm. She had pushed herself as close to him as she could and Harry could feel her trembling so he silently put his arms around her and held her until she fell back to sleep. He himself had drifted back off a few minutes later.

He smiled down at her slumbering form, her expression relaxed and peaceful, almost content. He closed his eyes again, he was too comfortable to get up. That and he didn't want to wake her. He must have dozed off again because the next thing he knew he was awakened by Hermione shifting beside him as she too returned to consciousness. He felt her remove herself from his grasp and get up from the bed; he pretended to be asleep so as to spare her the embarrassment that would surely follow if she knew that he had known that she was there. He waited a few minutes then proceeded to 'wake up'. He looked around and 'searched' for his glasses and placed them on his face. He looked to Hermione's bed to find her doing the same thing that he had just been doing. He fought to keep an amused smirk off his face.

Hermione didn't speak at all the whole morning, not even when Madam Pomfrey would ask her questions, she would either nod or shake her head depending on the question. _"It seems that the shock still has not worn off."_ ** _Yeah. There isn't really anything that we can do for her except show her support and be there for her...and hope for the best._**

With it being a weekend they didn't have to worry about classes, which Harry was thankful for, and Hermione spent the entire day sitting in her dorm. By the time Monday came around this routine was really beginning to test Harry's patience, she didn't even try to answer any questions in class, but Tom was on the verge of trying to kill something...or someone.

 _"I say we go up there and drag her out of the room and beat some sense into her!"_ ** _No, we don't hit women, that is what caused this mess in the first place, or have you forgotten?_** _"No, I have not, and forgive me for my lack of tact. But we still must talk to her and get her to come back out of her shell._ ** _Agreed._**

Harry stood and walked determinedly toward the stairs that lead to the girl's dorms. He knew of the charm on the stairs to keep boys out but he also knew that magic was all about intent, and he had faith that they would allow him up when it sensed that his intentions were for Hermione's well-being. His theory was proven correct when he reached the door to the first year girl's dorm. He knocked once then pushed the door open. He had no fear of being yelled at by the other girl's that shared this dorm, they were all at dinner. He slowly entered and glanced about the room until his gaze settled upon his objective.

Hermione sat on her bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, her eyes were unfocused as if she were watching something in the middle-distance. He approached cautiously, not wanting to startle her, and softly called out to her, "Hermione."

She flinched at his voice and turned slowly toward him, her eyes once again held fear but it was mingled with something else that resembled hope. This caused him to pause and decide to let her make the next move. She watched him for a moment before motioning for him to take a seat next to her on the bed. She didn't need to ask how he had gotten in, she already knew. "What do you want Harry?" she asked him in a small voice. Harry took a seat next to her, not too close, and studied her for a couple of seconds; she looked so lost that Harry felt something inside of him twist painfully.

"I just want you to be OK again," he told her in a near whisper. "Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?"

She thought that over for a few minutes then nodded. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the right words, after a few more false-starts she finally began to speak. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you kill it?"

Harry wasn't expecting this question, he contemplated making up some story but decided to go with the truth. "Because I wanted to. If I didn't it could have killed me, or worse you."

"But why so viciously?"

"It was fun."

This answer caused her to stare at him in shock. _"What the bloody hell are you doing!"_ ** _Being honest, if we lie, I'll feel bad. We tell her the truth and let her decide if she wishes to remain our friend._** _"I hope you know what you're doing."_ ** _So do I._**

Hermione finally overcame her shock enough to find her voice, "What do you mean it was fun?"

Harry smirked slightly, "I was toying with it, it never stood a chance. It was dead before it even realized that we were there, it just didn't know it yet." Inside his head Tom was bashing his head against an imaginary wall and yelling about how stupid Harry was for saying that. Hermione's response nearly caused Harry to fall off the bed and Tom's jaw to hit the floor.

"Can you teach me?"

"Wha-what?" he stuttered out in disbelief.

"Teach me, to be like you. I don't want to be weak anymore." She clarified. She didn't know why she was asking this, part of her thought that she should be running to tell a professor that Harry wasn't right in the head, but something was telling her that this was what she was supposed to do, that it was the right thing.

Harry took a deep breath, "Hermione, to be like me...is not something I would want for you. I've done horrible things." **_And Never once felt remorse for it._** _"They deserved it."_ ** _True._** _"Besides, you've only tortured so far."_ ** _That will soon change._**

"I don't care, I can do it."

He looked her directly in the eyes, "I know you _can_ , I'm not questioning your ability. I'm giving you time to change your mind. Once you start down the path that I've walked, there is no turning back. Ever."

"I'll do it. Please Harry." She looked at him pleadingly but with determination. Harry could only nod his head in acceptance.

"OK," he stood and held his hand out to her, she took it and he pulled her to her feet, "but first you have to come with me." She looked at him in confusion, "You missed dinner."

* * *

Harry and Hermione sat at a table in the kitchens, House Elves scurrying about preparing a meal for them. Harry had had to explain to Hermione about the Elves' outlook on their 'enslavement', how they would lose their magic if they weren't bound to a witch or wizard and how they enjoyed working, she didn't like it but she accepted it. At the moment they were discussing how to punish those who had done her harm.

"Who hurt you the most?" Harry asked her.

"Um...the red head. Weasley," she answered him.

"OK, then he'll be saved for last. Next?"

"Parkinson."

"Then Malfoy?"

She nodded, "Yes."

"OK then. He'll be the first to go. But first I must issue a warning to Dumbledore's lackeys."

"What kind of warning?"

"Oh, just one that will make them think that they can save Ickle Ronnikins from my wrath."

At this time a House Elf placed a large platter of food in front of each of them, then returned to its earlier work. Hermione waited for it to leave before speaking again, "When will you go after Malfoy?"

Harry swallowed the piece of chicken that he had been chewing then answered, "I was thinking over the Christmas holidays. Seems like as good a time as any."

"How do you plan on finding him?"

"I already know where his home is."

"How?"

"That," he said in a voice that conveyed that he didn't wish to speak of how he knew, "is for me to know and for you to find out when I deem that I can trust you enough." He plucked a small tomato out of Hermione's salad and rolled it between his fingers. "You may accompany me if you wish, to the execution of Draco Malfoy. It will give me a chance to observe how well you can deal with what must be done." She looked back at him with a slightly confused expression so he continued, "Your will, your conscience, whether or not you have a strong stomach. Basically to see if you have what it takes to walk this path with me." He began to lightly squeeze the tomato before piercing it with a fingernail, "Can you spill another human's blood, and not feel sorry?" As if to emphasize his point the juice of the tomato began to drip down onto the plate before him. Hermione felt a chill run up her spine at Harry's words but ignored it and took the tomato back from him before tossing it into her mouth.

"I think I can handle it," she said after swallowing. Harry smiled at her confidence, it wasn't arrogant or cocky but more of an 'I don't know if I can do this but I'm going to give it my all' type of confidence, it was refreshing after meeting tons of witches and wizards who all seemed to believe that they were superior to you just because of how much money they had or what their name was. This type of thinking would soon mark you as a target, and Harry Potter was going to show the world just how much further skill and intelligence could get you then money or name.

* * *

The next day Harry cornered Ron Weasley in the entrance hall after dinner, making sure that his older brothers were within earshot. "Evening Weasley."

"What the hell do you want Potter?" Ron asked him with a sneer worthy of a Slytherin.

"Who me? Oh, I was just wanting to let you know that if you ever so much as think about touching Hermione again then your parents are going to find your corpse being picked clean by crows."

Ron looked confused for a second, "Uh..what?" he asked intelligently.

"I'm going to kill you."

Ron smirked, "Yeah, right. I'd like to see you try. Besides I don't see the problem, the mudblood needed to learn her place."

Harry turned and pierced him with a glare, "Tell me Weasley, what satisfaction do you get from abusing women?"

"Women are beneath men, they need to learn that. The only things they are good for is cooking, and fucking."

"You disgust me." He began to walk away but stopped and turned to the other redheads that were present, "You had better teach your brother how to treat women, or I'll teach him for you." With that he turned his back to them and headed to Ravenclaw tower.

 _"That was a bit more straightforward than I expected."_ ** _Well, I really didn't feel like beating around the bush. And hey, give me a break, I only had a day to come up with something._** _"Yeah yeah. If it were me I would have locked him in a room and started quoting Edgar Allen Poe while torturing him to death then left with my cloak billowing dramatically and the Imperial March from Star Wars playing in the background."_ ** _You are such a geek._** _"Shut Up! Darth Vader is bad-ass. Much cooler then you, he had a lightsaber."_ ** _I've got a wand._** _"Yeah but a lightsaber is cooler."_ ** _But I can do magic._** _"He could use the force...and a lightsaber."_ ** _Would shut up about the lightsaber!_** _"But it's a Lightsaber!."_ ** _OK, I get it! Darth Vader is cooler then I am. Happy now?_** _"Yup. He had a Lightsaber."_

* * *

The Christmas holidays came quickly and Harry soon found himself standing at King's Cross Station waving goodbye to Hermione who was being lead away by her parents. They had parted with a promise from Harry to keep in contact and to visit on Christmas Day. Her parents, whom he had come to discover were dentists, had extended the invitation to a few days before Christmas but he had declined saying that he had some things that had to be taken care of with his family before he could visit and that it may take a while. They had accepted this, believing that he just wanted to spend time with his own family, but Hermione knew differently, which she conveyed with a wink over her shoulder as she left.

Harry thought back over the time since his talk with Hermione and her subsequent request to join him. He had begun teaching her a bit of beginner Dark Arts which she had picked up quickly. He then began to step it up and show her more complicated curses; she was progressing very well, all that was left to teach her was the Unforgivables, which would have to wait until she could get an untraceable wand. In some ways he felt bad that he had to corrupt her this way but at the same time the fact that she trusted him enough to go along with his plans filled him with an immense sense of joy.

As soon as she was gone he found a shadowy out-of-the-way place to apparate to Number 4. When he walked through the front door he found the house empty. He fought down a wave of fury, perhaps they were simply out for the day, after all they weren't expecting him to return home today. He placed his trunk in his room and opened the window for Hedwig to enter when she arrived after hunting and filled her water dish, walked to the kitchen and took an apple from the bowl on the table before returning to the living room and taking a seat in his favorite chair, a lightly cushioned one that faced directly toward the front door.

He sat for hours in that chair, waiting patiently, until finally the front door opened to reveal his Aunt and Uncle. They were dressed up in their best and looked like that had consumed more than enough alcohol. Harry took a quick glance at the clock then at the calender, 10:37 P.M. December 14th. Then it came to him, it was their anniversary. Well, that just meant that he had to make this night particularly memorable for them. He waited for them to close the door before speaking.

"Hello Auntie. Hello Uncle. Have a nice evening?" His cold voice cut through the still air causing his aunt to let out a small scream. He stood from his chair and walked slowly toward them, "Imagine how I felt when I returned home to find the house empty, and no note telling me where you were or when you would be back." He could see the fear in their eyes and reveled in it. Absently he thought that at the moment he sounded like a parent scolding their child for not coming home directly after school or going somewhere without letting anyone know. "Now, explain to me why there was no notification of your whereabouts."

Petunia opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, Harry noted the growing panic in her eyes, finally she was able to stutter out a reply, "W-we w-weren't expecting y-you t-to return s-so soon."

Harry smirked at her as he withdrew his Ebony wand causing them to flinch at the sight of it, "Well, ignorance is no excuse."

" _Crucio!"_

Vernon instead of Petunia, who had closed her eyes, fell to the floor with a loud cry of agony. Petunia looked on frozen in fear. Harry allowed a cruel smile to grace his features as his relative's screams echoed into the night. He lifted the curse only when Vernon lost consciousness, he then turned his wand on Petunia, "Auntie, I'm sorry but this going to hurt... _Crucio!"_

He hadn't been lying when he said that it was going to hurt, she tried to hold back her screams and only succeeded in biting her tongue off. He lifted the curse when she began choking on her own blood and coughed it up onto the floor.

"There, there Auntie." He reached down and picked up the severed appendage and held it up for her to see. "I believe you dropped this. Here, let me fix it." He then used a quick spell to return the piece of flesh to its proper place. That done he summoned a piece of cloth and stuffed it in her mouth before putting her under the curse again. He continued this until she too lost consciousness. He looked at them for a long moment before deciding to leave them where they were and headed to his room. He noted that Hedwig was now sleeping on her perch as he changed into his sleeping attire and crawled into bed. He quickly fell into a peaceful yet light sleep.

 **XXXXChristmas Eve.**

Harry moved silently through the halls of Malfoy Manor, behind him followed Hermione. He had ordered his uncle to drive him to her house and he told her parents that they were going to do some last minute shopping then to dinner and that they may be back late but promised to be back by 10:00 P.M. At the latest. After They had left her house he had his uncle drive them to a nearby park, from there he had apparated them to just outside the wards surrounding the Malfoys' ancestral home.

Once they had entered the house he had used a simple 'point-me' spell to find the young Malfoy's bedroom. He reached his hand out and turned the door handle and lightly pushed the door open. Draco was laying on his bed, he appeared to be fighting sleep. _"He must want to stay up late to try and meet Santa."_ ** _Haha, sorry to disappoint him but I refuse to wear a big red suit and a beard._** _"Ah, why not? Hermione can be a reindeer! Oh no better yet, she would look great as an elf! After all, she is 'Harry's Little Helper'!"_ ** _You seriously scare me sometimes._**

Hermione closed the door softly behind them and cast a soundproofing charm on the room and locked the door twice, adding another lock just for that purpose. Harry approached the bed where Draco was laying with his eyes closed. He smirked then reached out and held his hand over Malfoy's mouth; Draco's eyes shot open and Harry chuckled at the confusion and fear he found within those steel gray orbs. " _Hark, the Herald and Angels sing._ Merry Christmas Malfoy."

Draco's eyes rolled back in his head as he fainted. Harry silently cast a levitation charm on the unconscious boy and conjured a set of shackles on the wall. They were set up high so that he would hang from them with his feet suspended about six inches from the ground. After he was placed in them another set was conjured to hold his legs in place and keep him from thrashing about. This done Harry eneverated the boy and began to speak. "Draco, tell me something...didn't your mother ever teach you not to hit women?"

Draco sneered at him as best he could from his position facing the wall. "No, she taught me that if they are below me then they should be treated as such. Especially mudbloods." he spat the last part in Hermione's direction. Harry just shook his head and held a hand out to Hermione, who had decided that she was going to sit back and enjoy the show. Knowing what he was asking she pulled a long curved dagger out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"In ancient times the punishment for assaulting your superior would be death. This has not changed in my eyes. Because Hermione is my best friend this makes her your superior, and I am your executioner. Now, there are many methods of execution; there was the quick and easy beheading, or the renowned Crucifixion. Or the Death of a Thousand Cuts, or my personal favorite, the Blood Eagle. This Malfoy will be your method. And you will stay awake throughout the whole thing." He waved his hand and cast a spell that he had discovered when going through Tom's memories, it forced the target to stay conscious until either the spell was lifted or until they died. "Let us begin."

He stepped up and ripped the shirt from Draco's back and let it fall to the floor. At this point Draco was crying and begging for Harry to show mercy; Harry ignored his pleas.

He placed the tip of the blade to the base of Malfoy's neck and pushed until it had pierced the desired amount of flesh, them drug it down slowly slicing a long deep gash to the base of his spine. The scream that escaped the boy's throat was like a sweet melody to Harry's ears. He looked to Hermione to find her staring in morbid fascination. He turned back and gripped the torn flesh on each side of the cut then savagely ripped it open, exposing the muscle tissue underneath. By this point Malfoy was beyond agony and his screams had become near silent from the strain they put on his vocal chords.

He quickly cut through the muscles and exposed the ribs beneath them. He flipped the dagger and struck one of the bones with the pommel, there was a resounding crack as the bone shattered. He continued doing this until every single rib was broken. He then plunged his hands through the gaps presented and gripped the boy's lungs, he gave them a light squeeze before ripping them out of him and draping them across his back, like wings. He stood there and watched the light leave Draco's eyes before turning away to find Hermione looking at him with a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, almost as if she wasn't sure if she was allowed to show it. He smiled at her which coaxed one out her.

 _"Well, it would seem that you do have what it takes my friend. Bravo."_ ** _I couldn't have done it without your help Tom. Your knowledge of torture and pain was what gave me the know-how to pull this off. Thank you._**

"Now for the final touch." He raised his blood covered hand to the wall next to the corpse hanging on the wall like a sick decoration. Once he was finished with the last addition to his new piece of art he magically cleaned himself up and removed all traces of their magical signatures from the room.

"Thank you Harry," Hermione told him with a smile. He smiled back and gave her hand a squeeze. They exited the Manor and were gone as silently as they had come.

* * *

Harry entered his room and hit the power button on his stereo, which then began to play the song 'Mephistopheles' by Deicide. He changed into his sleeping attire and sat on his bed. He raised a hand to his cheek and touched it lightly; when he and his uncle had dropped Hermione back off at her home she had said goodbye then kissed him on the cheek before running into her home and closing the door, not even giving him time to say anything.

He soon drifted off to sleep with Glen Benton's growls echoing in his ears and Hermione's smile shining through the darkness of his dreams.

* * *

 **A/N: Well that's that. A bit longer then normal but yeah... would have been longer but I hardly had time to write this week. I'll be going on a trip tomorrow and won't be back until next week, and I can't take my PC with me. Sorry. Review if you want. No Flames.**


	8. The violence and darkness

8: The Violence and Darkness

 **D**

isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable.

A/N: So sorry that this took so long. I was having problems with my computer.

A huge thank you to ChAOtiC ReApEr for helping me get passed that thrice damned Error 2 bullshit. Thank you. Without your help this chapter would not have been able to be posted.

This is really short, not much happens either. I have a major case of writer's block. It is to the point where I am considering just taking a really long break from writing. The title is taken from a Dir En Grey song by the same name. Great band, one of my favorites.

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

* * *

 **I Am Atrocity**

 **Chapter VIII: Hageshisa To, Kono Mune No Naka De Karamitsuita Shakunetsu No Yami**

 **'You will never really know my name without reflection. A careful Devil's irony in pure perfection, and pure deceit.'**

 **-The Zodiac by Kamelot**

Harry sat down at the table early on Christmas morning. Between his hands he held a hot cup of tea, he took a sip of the dark liquid then set it down on the wooden surface before him. In his mind he replayed the events of the previous night. Images of Draco Malfoy's bloodstained skin passed before him like some sick film that never ended, just played on and on, over and over. I twas enough to make him sick, yet somehow he felt an immense relief, like his path had just become a bit clearer. Less obscure.

He had taken his first life, a feat that he had been worried that, when it came down to it, he would not be able to go through with. With Tom's encouragement and his desire to bring death and suffering to those who had wronged Hermione and, by extension, him. He had enjoyed it. He wondered if he would eventually become so used to killing that it became second nature, or would he still maintain some sense of his former self?

This caused his thoughts to shift to the entity which he shared a body with. Tom was still somewhat of an enigma to him, even though he had already known the 'man' for three years. His personality alone was a sharp contrast to the image painted by the general public. He was known throughout the Wizarding World as a cruel and heartless being but Harry knew better. The Tom he knew was smart-mouthed and sometimes immature. He was friendly and intelligent. The Tom he knew was the real Tom, the boy who just wanted a friend and to be accepted, not the monster created to hide his insecurities. No, Voldemort was a lie, a facade, Tom was the truth hidden behind those lies. Tom himself had not realized this until after he had joined with Harry.

Seeing as it was Christmas he allowed his relatives to sleep a little while longer. He lifted his cup to his lips and took a long sip of the still hot liquid within. The tea burned his throat as he swallowed but he showed no signs of discomfort. A tapping on the kitchen window drew his attention; an owl sat on the outer sill looking at him impatiently. He stood from the table and made his way over and opened the window. He took the newspaper attached to its leg and stuffed a knut into the pouch on the other. He closed the window and returned to his chair. After taking another drink of tea he opened the paper and smiled at the front page, silently marveling at the speed at which the Daily Prophet worked, it was barely passed ten in the morning.

 **Malfoy Heir Brutally Murdered**

He scanned the article before looking to the picture accompanying the story. It showed Draco, still chained where Harry had left him, and the wall next to him, on which was displayed a message written in the victim's blood. It read:

 **Erebus has claimed his soul, and the Fields of Punishment shall be his home, from here to eternity.**

As he was rereading the article his relatives all filed into the kitchen, his aunt to begin making breakfast and his uncle and cousin to the table.

"Good morning all," Harry greeted them.

"Good morning Harry," they all chorused back. Harry nodded, satisfied.

Dudley had returned home a couple of days after Harry had, and he had been welcomed warmly by his parents...well, as warmly as they could manage while suffering under _Crucio_ because they had failed to notify Harry that the mammoth-sized boy would be returning home. When he thought about it though, he figured that it was for the best. After all, the wards were attached to the boy and it would have been like a giant neon red flag for Dumbledore when Harry was supposed to be at home yet the tracking wards showed that he was in a completely different part of the country. He couldn't have Dumbles poking his large crooked nose into his business. Of course figuring all of this out didn't help his relatives any because he had only come to this conclusion AFTER they had been tortured.

The time for his exposure had not yet arrived. Harry knew that he had taken a huge risk by threatening the Weasel, but hopefully it would be dismissed as a child's harmless threat.

"Uncle, there was an interesting story in the paper this morning. Perhaps you should take a look." Harry tossed the paper to his confused uncle where it landed on the table with the front page clearly visible. His uncle lifted the paper; Harry smirked as he watched the color drain from his uncle's face. "Keep this in mind the next time you think of defying me." He then dug into the plate of food his aunt had just placed in front of him.

 _"Merry Christmas Harry!"_ ** _Merry Christmas Tom. How are you this fine morning?_** _"Oh I'm just peachy. You?"_ ** _Peachy. Tom, I've been thinking._** _"Well, that explains why it feels like someone has been hitting me with a hammer."_ ** _Can it Snake Boy. Now as I was saying, I have been thinking about the soul fragments that are in Hogwarts. What should we do about them?_** _"Well, obviously we have to destroy them, can't have more than one of me running around at the same time. That could cause quite a bit of trouble for us. Well, since the one on the seventh floor is stationary it is more than likely one of my Horcruxes, we'll get that one first and destroy it, then we worry about the parasite."_ ** _Okay, when we return to Hogwarts that will be the first thing on the agenda._** _"Oh and Harry, I must ask you: where did you come up with that name?"_ ** _What? Erebus?_** _"Yes."_ ** _Oh, well, I read it in a muggle book on Greek mythology. It is the name of the primordial god of darkness. He was considered the embodiment, the personification of darkness. I thought it fit._** _"Hmm, I like it._

After breakfast they moved to the family room where there sat a Christmas tree with a rather large stack of packages beneath it. He allowed the Dursleys to have a 'normal' Christmas each year, they bought each other gifts but Harry himself never asked for or gave anything. As happened every year his aunt asked him a question. "Harry, do you have a gift for us?"

Harry looked her in the eye. "You're alive aren't you?" It was the response he always gave them, to remind them that he didn't like them; he merely tolerated them because for the time being they needed to be alive. If they died, things would go downhill fast. It would draw Dumbledore's attention.

* * *

The remainder of the holidays went by without any great significance. He had spent Christmas day at Hermione's home with her and her parents. He showed her a gift he had received from an unspecified individual. It was an invisibility cloak that had apparently belonged to his father. He had expected her to still be clinging to her old bossy personality and tell him how irresponsible keeping such an item was but she surprised him when she took it in stride and began to think up ways that it could come in handy. She was already planning to use it when they went after Pansy.

They were now back at Hogwarts. Harry was pacing on the seventh floor. He could sense the Horcrux just on the other side of the wall but could find no way to get to it. He contemplated this issue while he paced before the bare stretch of wall that separated him from his goal. He turned to walk back the other direction when he noticed a change; there was now a door where there had previously been only stone.

He placed a hand cautiously on the handle of the door and turned it. He pushed the door inwards and it swung open on silent hinges. He entered the room slowly, sending out a wave of magic to detect any traps or other such dangers. The scan came back clean except for one object, which he was pretty sure was the Horcrux.

The appraised his surroundings as the door swung closed behind him. All around him where piles of random objects, from old toys to dusty trophies to the shelves full of old books. Mixed among the common items one could find many objects of value, a golden necklace, a jewel encrusted sword, and sitting on a marble bust of an unknown man was a silver tiara adorned with sapphires. He sent out another wave of magic and his suspicions were confirmed; the scan returned with the result of the tiara containing dark magic. He had found the first Horcrux.

He stepped up to the bust and examined the Horcrux closely, attempting to discern its origins. He quickly sifted through Tom's memories and came up with his answer. This was Ravenclaw's diadem. **_What is it doing here? I remember, you gave it to Snape for safekeeping. Unless..._** _"Yes, he placed it here. And I'd bet my, er, your wand that Dumbledore knows that it's here."_ Harry ignored Tom's comment about his wand. **_If he knew that it was here and what it was then why hasn't he destroyed it yet?_** _"I do not know. It may be that he is waiting until later to use them as a means of manipulation or simply that he doesn't yet know how to destroy it. Either way, chalk up another to Bumblemore The Great Manipulator. Seriously Harry, we need to step up our game a bit. He has more tallies than we do."_ In his head he got a mental image of Tom using a yardstick to point at a black board that was divided in two, each bearing the titles Harry/Tom and 'The Old Goat' respectively. The section marked 'The Old Goat' had nearly twice as many marks as the other.

Harry shook his head at Tom's antics. He focused his magic into his right hand, **_Let's hope this works._** He placed his hand on the cool surface of the artifact and began to push his magic into it. The Horcrux gave a shudder and he felt and alien consciousness begin to prod at his Occlumency shields. He fortified his defenses while continuing to push purifying magic into the object that housed a piece of Tom's former self. Using 'White' magic felt strange to Harry but he endured the unfamiliar feeling in his body and continued his attempt to smother the Horcrux.

He could still feel the Horcrux attempting to fight back by attacking his shields. The diadem gave another shudder and then fell still; the consciousness disappeared. He withdrew his magic slowly in case it was a trick. He had nearly withdrawn all of his magic when the attack came. Even though he was expecting it the sudden return and subsequent attack upon his shields caught him by surprise. He quickly tried to throw up his defenses but he was too late. He felt the Horcrux breach his shields and enter his mind. Tom's response was immediate, he threw his own counter attack at the Horcrux, distracting it from Harry. All of a sudden his mind was filled with a high pitched voice that hissed when it spoke. The voice was similar to the one that Tom used when he was extremely angry.

 _You already possess a piece of me? This is good, it will make the process much more painless for both of us. Come brother, let us join. And you, boy, will be the harbinger of my return._ Tom lashed out at his former self. _"I will not join with you. I am already more powerful than I was. And I refuse to give that up. Me and my friend here shall crush you into oblivion."_ Harry could feel the Horcrux getting angrier. _Friend? Ha! If that is your choice, then you have sealed your fate, and that of your 'friend'._ The Horcrux surged forward in a violent assault at Tom. _Harry, you know what to do, I'll be fine."_

He didn't like it but Tom was right. With that in mind he began to spread the purifying magic throughout his entire body, leave nothing untouched. He could feel the Horcrux fighting to stay 'alive' inside him but the amount of 'light' flowing through him was quickly snuffing it from existence.

With a final cry of rage the Horcrux withered and faded until it was completely gone. Harry breathed a sigh of relief fought to stay upright as he suddenly began to feel lightheaded and dizzy. **_Hey, Tom. We did it._** Then the world went black.

* * *

A/N: This way too short. I am so sorry. I have hit a brick wall, a dam, the ideas just aren't flowing. I will welcome any suggestions or ideas, feel free to PM me with anything, no matter how stupid the idea may seem.

A little bit of explanation for the magic used in this chapter: I read a book on my trip called 'The Law of Nines' by Terry Goodkind. In the story magic is based solely on intent, no incantations involved, so I tried to play on that idea a bit. It was a great book. I recommend it.

Chapter Title Translation: The violence and, the darkness coiled around my body.

As always: Review, I would really like to know what you think. I love long reviews so feel free to go in depth about what you liked or disliked or what you think I need to improve on. No Flames though, they are in no way helpful.

-Atrocity.


	9. To Transcend Beyond Mortal Chains

9: To Transcend Beyond Mortal Chains

 **D**

isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable.

A/N: Thank you to all who sent me ideas. And to all who simply reviewed. Special Thanks to: ChAOtiC ReApEr, Cuervo Blanco and darkheart18 for all of their help. After careful consideration I have decided that this story will be divided into three books. The Dawn of a Golden Age, Black Days Begin, and To Oblivion. The canon timeline will only stay intact until around fourth or filth year.

This chapter was written under the influence of Dir En Grey and GACKT so the tone may vary a bit as it progresses. Any dark parts I blame on Dir En Grey, and this chapter is noticeably darker than the others as Harry does a lot of thinking in this chapter. This chapter was also written under the influence of Dr. Pepper, I don't drink soda often, I usually stick to water and tea. So yeah. Enjoy!

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

* * *

 **I Am Atrocity**

 **Chapter IX: To Transcend Beyond Mortal Chains**

 **'It's been so long since I could say I've needed anything stronger. We can't be wrong when we have ties that bind us. If I rely and I know the strength in those who taught me of the power in the ties that bind.'**

 **-Chiron by All That Remains.**

Harry opened his eyes slowly. His head was pounding and his entire body felt as if he had just been hit by a truck. He tried to lift his arm to wipe the sleep from his eyes but found that he could not move. **_Wha-what the hell! What happened?_** All at once memories began to assault him. He remembered finding the Horcrux. He remembered using light magic to destroy it. And he remembered the vicious assault the Horcrux had subjected both him and Tom to. **_Wait. Tom?_** No answer. **_Tom!_** No answer. This was beginning to cause him to panic. He had known that using White Magic would be risky but Tom had assured him that it would not harm either of them. Had he lied?

Harry felt a cold weight, like a large block of ice, settle in his chest. What if in his desperation to destroy the Horcrux before it possessed him had caused him to over do it and had caused him to inadvertently destroy Tom as well? He didn't know if he could continue without Tom's guidance. **_Tom!_** Silence...and then. _"Calm down Harry. I'm here."_ Harry felt a wave of relief pass over him. ** _Why didn't you answer the first two times I called you?_** _"I was busy."_ ** _Doing what? I was scared that I had killed you._** _"As if I would let something like that kill me."_ ** _Then why didn't you answer me? I called you like twelve times!_** _"Okay, now you're exaggerating."_ ** _So, your missing the point here!_** _"Calm down Harry."_ ** _I'M PERFECTLY CALM!_** _"Yes, I can see that. Chill out, I was repairing the damage to our Occlumency shields."_ ** _Oh. Why can't I move?_** _"Well, that I would blame on the amount of White Magic you used. That and you wore yourself out trying to fight off that damned bastard of a soul fragment."_ ** _How long have I been out?_** _I'd say about...a day and a half maybe. I'm not sure, I was unconscious for a while too so it could be longer."_ ** _Great._** _"Absolutely."_ ** _That was sarcasm Tom._** _"I know."_

He tried again to lift his arms and again failed. He turned his head as much as he could without hurting his neck too much. Apparently using the lighter side of magic was harmful for those who walked the darker path, and he had used a lot of it. It was all worth it though, they had destroyed a Horcrux. They were one step closer to ridding the world of Tom's old self. He eventually gave up on moving any time soon and allowed himself to drift back into sleep.

* * *

 **The darkness swirled around him, circling him, enveloping him. Yet it never touched him. It seemed to move with a purpose, as if it were an entity in and of itself. He supposed, given that he he had taken his own name from the god of darkness, that it very well could be. Before he could think on this further the dark suddenly closed in on him. He could hear screaming, crying. It took him a moment to realize that it was coming from his own mouth. He could feel the sting of a belt across his back, the sharp ache of broken ribs and the salty metallic taste of blood in hismouth.**

 **"Please stop!" he heard himself say. Another strike landed across his skin, obviously who ever was doing this to him had decided to ignore his plea for mercy. Another voice reached his ears through the shadows that still encircled him.**

 **"You little piece of shit! I swear if it's the last thing I do I'm going to beat the freakishness out of you!" It was his uncles voice. As soon as he spoke these words Harry experienced the feeling of someone stomping the heel of their shoe into the small of his back. He screamed out in pain.**

 **He tried to move his arms to crawl away from the abuse but found that he had no control over his own body. He fought to move but still was unable to even lift a finger. Panic overtook his mind as the pain continued to increase. He tried to fight off the scattering of his thoughts and his minds degradation to base instincts, but the struggle was an uphill one and he was losing. The pain began to increase at a greater rate, the strikes coming from multiple, seemingly impossible, angles at once, each intended to cause maximum harm. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.**

 **Harry wasn't sure if he could die in this place, wherever this place was, but he was beginning to think that death would be a welcome relief at this point in time.**

 **As he was thinking this another voice reached him, this one light and soft. It carried a sense of caring but its tone was that of extreme concern and worry. Slowly the darkness began to shift, becoming less suffocating and more calming. He could feel it caressing his skin as the pain began to fade.**

* * *

Harry's eyes snapped open, and he immediately closed them again as bright sunlight hit them. He tried again, this time more slowly. As his sight adjusted to the light he took in his surroundings. He was in the hospital wing. How had he gotten there? The last he remembered he was in a strange room where he had battled and destroyed one of Tom's Horcruxes.

 _"Ah, you are finally awake. Welcome back to the land of the living O' Sleepy One."_ ** _Tom? What's going on? How did I get here?_** _"That would be moi. No need to thank me, it was nothing... No seriously, don't thank me...Thank me you idiot!"_ ** _Um...thanks?_** _"Your welcome. Now, are you going to ask me how I got us here?"_ ** _Um, sure. How did you get us here Tom?_** _"I walked. How else do you think we could get here? Skipping? I will have you know that I have never skipped in my life, nor do I plan to degrade myself to such behavior any time soon."_ ** _What do you mean_** **you** ** _walked here?_** _"Well, while you were sleeping_ I _had to do all of the work. So I took over control of our body and made it walk us here. Then when we got here I made up some bullshit story about how I was suddenly feeling really weak and light head and dizzy. I did a good job too 'cause Madam Pomfrey didn't even question me. Of course it probable helped that our body was drooping and stumbling all over the place and I could barely keep us standing."_ ** _Then I guess I really do owe you a thank you. Thank you._** _"Eh, don't mention it."_ ** _But what do you mean 'you took over the body'?_** _"As you know, when you are awake I can't influence our movements or speech because this was originally your body only. That and your full soul is still inside this body whereas I am technically just a fragment of a split soul. You are the dominate personality in here. I was only able to control use because your mind was weak still from the Horcruxes assault."_

That explained a lot. He knew that Tom couldn't take over control while he was conscious or even when he was asleep normally. But fighting the Horcrux had taken a lot out of him and his weakness during the aftermath had allowed Tom to temporarily take over control. It had lasted just enough to get them to safety. The only downfall was that he was stuck in the hospital wing now.

 _"Harry, I must apologize for that nightmare you had. That was my fault."_ ** _What do you mean?_** Harry thought about the dream he had had. It had felt so real, the pain was so intense. Had Tom done that to him? _"While you were unconscious I was working to rebuild the defenses around your , when I finished I discovered that your inner defenses had been breached as well when the Horcrux had tried to find something to use against you. Some of the memories that you kept locked away in there where escaping to the forefront of your mind. This caused the nightmare. And because they were memories instead of just regular dreams they were much more vivid. The pain was imprinted in those memories so you felt the pain from all of those memories all at one. It took me a while to repair the damage and force them back in. It became easier when Hermione came in and began talking to you."_ ** _Hermione was here?_** _"She still is."_

Harry looked to his right to find Hermione sitting on a chair, fast asleep. He couldn't help but notice how cute she looked in her sleep, though her face was fixed in an expression of worry, her brow furrowed as if she were thinking hard about something. Well, what else would he expect from Hermione? ** _Tom, how long have I been here?_** _"A couple of days."_ ** _Damn._**

He tried to push himself into a sitting position and let out a loud involuntary groan when his muscles protested the action. His groan must have been louder than he had thought because it was enough to rouse Hermione from her sleep, and that was saying something. He had discovered, when he had stayed the night at her house on Christmas, that she was a very heavy sleeper. She had fallen asleep on his arm while they were watching a movie that night and it had gotten to the point when the movie was over that he had to carry her to her room because she adamantly refused to wake up to walk there herself. That was also when he made the decision to get into better physical shape. Hermione wasn't heavy by any means but he himself was rather weak. He intended to change this at the earliest possible chance.

Hermione blinked sleepily in his direction, her face showed clear confusion as to where she was and why. Then her eyes found his and comprehension showed in her eyes. Without waiting a second longer she launched herself from the chair and onto the bed where she subjected him to one of her rib crushing hugs. Honestly, he didn't see what the big deal was, there was no reason for her to have been upset enough to warrant this display of emotion. I wasn't like he had nearly died or anything like that...okay maybe it was but still, she didn't know that...did she?

"Um, Hermione, could you loosen your grip a bit? It is kinda hard to breathe." Harry told her. She immediately let go of him and leaned back with an apology about to spring from her lips. He quickly held a finger to them to stop the words before they could be formed. She had nothing to be sorry for. She again looked at him in a confused manner so he told her, "Don't apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for." She continued to look at him for a moment before smiling and nodding. He tried to sit up again but was met with the same results as before.

"Be careful," Hermione told him, "Madam Pomfrey said that you shouldn't move around too much when you wake up, you could hurt yourself." Now that she mentioned her he noticed the absence of the strict school healer.

"Um, where is she?" he managed to gasp out as Hermione helped him into a sitting position against the head of the bed with a pillow, stolen from another bed, behind his back.

"Staff meeting," she replied sitting down on the bed next to him. He nodded, acknowledging her words.

"So, how long have I been in here?" he asked her as he pulled her back into a hug.

"About three days." she answered, repositioning herself so that she was sitting in his lap with her head laying on his chest. "I was worried when you didn't come back to the common room. Then Padma came in and mentioned that she had seen you in here when she came in for something for a headache that she had. Did you know that they keep a store of muggle pain killers here? I only know because Padma mentioned that Madam Pomfrey had given her two little white things when she asked for something to get rid of a headache. It must have been..." She continued on about what other types of medicines Madam Pomfrey might have for other ailments, Harry was only half listening. Only Hermione would be so interested in a wizarding healer using muggle medicine to cure little things like a headache. He merely smiled and hugged her closer as she continued her one-sided discussion of muggle pharmaceutics.

* * *

Madam Pomfrey had forced Hermione to leave, she did so reluctantly and with a promise to visit again tomorrow, and was now casting some diagnostic charms to get an idea of how his healing had progressed. The results where apparently good as she informed him that he may be allowed to leave tomorrow. That was one good thing at least, but now with Hermione gone he had no one to talk to and way too much time to think.

His first thoughts were of the ordeal that he had gone through that landed him in his current predicament and trying to come up with a better way to go about it. Using the white magic had destroyed the Horcrux like he had intended but the consequences had nearly been fatal; if it hadn't been for Tom he would probably have either died from the combined damage of the white magic and the Horcrux's attack or been possessed by it. Hell, without Tom he wouldn't have lived past his eighth birthday, no not even until then, he would have died in that cupboard long before then. He owed everything to him.

 ** _Tom, is there any other way to destroy the Horcruxes?_** _"None that I can think of at the moment...Perhaps if we were stronger than we are now."_ ** _You are referring to rituals?_** _"Yes."_ ** _That is risky._** _"So was going into that battle unprepared but we came OK in the end. We'll get nowhere if we don't take risks."_ ** _You're right. Perhaps we should see if Hermione wishes to perform them with us._** _"We could ask."_ Harry nodded. **_Yes, I think we will do that._** _"Look at you go Harry. Already trying to get Hermione out of her clothes."_ Harry blushed at Tom implication. It was true that the rituals he was planning to use required him to be absolutely nude to perform them properly. If he wore clothes then they could get in the way of the magic or taint it and cause problems. It was best to remove such variables from the equation. And he wasn't against the idea that Tom was alluding to, that was not his reason for wanting to involve Hermione in the rituals. **_That's not the reason at all and you know it._** _"Yeah, I know. But that doesn't mean that I can't still tease you though. But seriously, that may not be your intentions right now, but we both know that it will be at some point in the future."_ Harry blushed again. **_Shut up!_** Tom only laughed as Harry fought to control the blood rushing to his face.

* * *

As it turned out Harry was allowed to leave the next day. He had regained sufficient energy and strength to move about freely and he he wasn't in danger of collapsing in the middle of a corridor from exhaustion now. He made it back to Ravenclaw tower without much difficulty, and entered the common room.

The first thing he noticed was his bushy-haired best friend walking across the empty common room in his direction from the stairs that lead up to the girls dormitories. She spoke when she saw him. "Harry? What are you doing? I was just on my way to see you."

"Well, Madam Pomfrey let me out. She said that there was nothing else that she could do and since I am able to walk and move about just fine then I could go. Though she did say to try and take it easy for a few more days." He informed her.

"Well that's good then. We still have a few days until classes start back up so it all works out. So, now that you're free, what do you want to do?" She asked him.

"Well," he flashed her a mischievous grin, "I was thinking that we could go to the library," her eyes lit up, "and use the invisibility cloak to sneak into the Restricted Section for some...private research." _"That sounds so dirty."_ ** _Get your head out of the gutter Tom._** _"Hehe."_ Honestly, Tom scared him sometimes. "What do you say?"

Hermione pondered for a moment, he could tell that she was fighting her old instincts to shoot down the idea and lecture him about how it was against the rules, she apparently was able to overrule them fairly easily because a few seconds later she smiled and said "Okay."

He told her to wait while he went and retrieved the cloak. When he returned he pulled the cloak over both of them and they set off to the library. Once they arrived they easily snuck passed Madam Pince, the extremely annoying librarian who resembled a large bird of prey that would swoop down on you if she even had the slightest suspicion that you were mistreating her precious books or breaking a rule. Honestly, didn't she have more important things to do than terrorize students if they so much as turned a page to quickly, 'you could have ripped it' she would yell at them, it was usually a very frightened first year who would then run out of the library with tears in their eyes. He didn't like her very much, sure he could torture and kill a pureblooded bigot and not bat an eyelash but being mean to a child that did nothing wrong was not something he agreed with. Yet another sign that he wasn't losing himself to the darkness that flowed through him.

With a quick silent and wandless unlocking spell they entered the restricted section where Harry immediately led them to an out of sight corner in the back, behind the shelves. He uncovered their heads and looked around to make sure that they couldn't be seen from the outside the Restricted section before removing the cloak fully.

"Harry, what are we here for?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I," Harry gestured to himself as he walked toward the section marked Runes/Rituals, "am looking to research and perform some rituals. Rituals that will not only make me stronger and faster physically but more powerful magically." He lifted the first book he found with the word ritual in the title off the shelf and opened it to the table of contents. After scanning through the table he returned it to it's place. "If you want, you can join me."

Hermione seemed a bit taken aback by the offer, "Um, not that I don't appreciate the offer but...um..." When she didn't continue Harry turned back to her to find her looking at her feet, her cheeks a pleasant shade of pink.

"What?"

"Well, um...I remember reading something about rituals. Don't they have to..uh..be performed..." she seemed to be having trouble uttering the last word, so he filled it in for her.

"Naked." he said, trying to keep the color from his own cheeks. She merely nodded and blushed deeper. "Yeah, they do." He sighed, "If you don't want to, then that's OK."

"No, no!" she said quickly, "It's not that I don't _want_ to but..wouldn't it be a little weird?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see why it would be. I'd like to think that we are both mature enough not to make a big deal out of it and make it awkward."

"Okay." There was no hesitation that Harry could detect, but he did detect a bit of a smile tugging at her lips.

"Well then," he clapped his hands, "let's get started on the research." _"Harry, you already know the rituals we are going to use. Why go through this trouble?"_ ** _Because, this way Hermione feels more involved. If I just came up and said that I had already found some rituals do you think she would have agreed as readily?_** _"Probably not."_ ** _No, she would probably be a bit peeved that I had planned that far ahead without first consulting her. Plus she loves books so the idea of independent study probably appeals to her._** _"Not to mention that she seemed just as eager to get you out of your clothes as you do her."_ Harry felt his face growing warm at Tom's words. **_No, Hermione is still too innocent for that._** _"Just keep telling yourself that. She tried not to show it but I saw it. Seems that little Hermione may have a rebellious/naughty side to her that no one knows about."_ Harry decided to just ignore Tom for now and pretend that he was searching for rituals; even if he did already know how to perform them, thanks to Tom's memories, and had the incantations memorized, he had to keep up appearances.

* * *

It was passed midnight when they finally left the confines of the library. They slowly made their way back to Ravenclaw Tower walking together under the invisibility cloak. They were making their way through the corridor on the fifth floor when the sound of voices reached their ears. Harry looked at Hermione, silently asking if she heard them as well. She nodded her head. He knew that they should probably just ignore it and continue on their way but Harry's curiosity got the better of him and they soon found themselves standing against the wall listening to a conversation happening just around the corner.

"What is the problem? Why haven't you done it yet?" demanded a deep voice that Harry recognized as belonging to Snape.

"Well, it could be that you didn't tell me that there was a giant three-headed dog guarding the entrance." snapped back another voice. It sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place where he had heard it.

Harry was expecting Snape to respond but instead a new voice entered the discussion. "Silence, both of you. Your petty arguing will get us nowhere."

"Forgive me, my lord." both Snape and the other man said at the same time.

Harry heard what sounded like a hiss, "Now, Severus, you may go."

"Yes, my lord."

Harry held his arm out and pressed Hermione further against the wall as Snape rounded the corner and strode passed them.

"My lord, what are we going to do about the problem with the dog?"

"WE must discover any weaknesses it may have."

"But who would know such a thing?"

"Perhaps our resident grounds keeper. He does have a history of keeping large violent pets in the school."

"Very well."

Harry decided that it was best that they not stick around, the only problem was that they had to go passed the man that was still in the hallway. He motioned for Hermione to be quiet and began to lead the way back to the common room. They carefully crept around the corner and came nearly face to face with Professor Quirrell. **_What the hell! That voice sounded nothing like him. I guess I should have seen this coming though. After all, who else would Snape call 'My Lord'?_** _"Dumbledore?"_ ** _...maybe. But I really don't think Albus 'It's For The Greater Good' Dumbledore would make someone do that. If someone found out then it could be very damaging to his reputation. As much as I hate the man I have to admit that he is smart. Maybe too smart._** _"Agreed."_

He felt Hermione freeze next to him and turned to see what was wrong only to find her staring passed him. He followed her line of sight to see Quirrell seemingly looking right at them. He too froze and he could swear that his heart was beating so loud that he was sure that the man standing not three feet away would hear it. Quirrell looked like he was thinking, then shook his head and headed off in the direction that Harry and Hermione had just come from. Both of the young magic users let out a sigh of relief. Then Hermione asked the question that was running through Harry's head at that very moment.

"What was that all about?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure." Harry answered, carefully enunciating each word.

"But you have an idea?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes."

"Well, what is it?"

Harry looked around the now deserted corridor. "I'll explain it when we get back to the common room."

"Where we can just as easily be overheard as here?"

She had a point. "Fine," he cast another glance around and saw an empty classroom a little ways down the hall. "Come on, we'll talk in there."

He pushed the door open and waited for Hermione to enter before closing it and warding it with every privacy charm that he knew. Hermione raised an eyebrow at this. "What? You can't be too careful." He pulled the cloak off of them and folded it up before laying it on an old desk that was pushed up against the wall. He exhaled. "Where to begin?"

Hermione smirked, "Perhaps you should try the beginning."

Harry smirked back, "Fair enough. I was born on-"

Hermione smacked him on the arm. "Prat."

Harry chuckled. "Well you did say 'the beginning' did you not?"

"I didn't mean that I wanted to hear your life story."

"Okay then. Why don't you ask a question and I'll do my best to answer it."

Her brow furrowed and she began to nibble on her bottom lip. He had noticed that she did these things whenever she was thinking hard about something, which she did a lot. "Who is this 'lord' that they were talking to?"

"Voldemort." Harry answered.

"Harry, I was being serious."

"So was I. Voldemort is not dead Hermione. He can't die...at least not yet. The night that my parents died I only destroyed his body."

"I don't understand."

Well, you see, the body is only a vessel, a shell so to speak. It can be destroyed but that is it. The inner organs and blood aren't keeping us alive, they are keeping the body alive. We can never truly die. Only our mortal form can. When our bodies die our soul is released, usually to move on to the next life. But there are some instances where a wizard can split up his soul into multiple pieces and implant them into solid objects. Now, our souls, once they are released, cannot remain on this plane of existence for very long, a couple of hours at most, it must cross over, unless there is something holding us here."

Hermione was absorbing this information like a sponge does water but in true Hermione form she couldn't resist asking questions. "You mean like a ghost, they are attached to something that was important to them in life?"

"Not quite the same thing. A ghost is only a memory, an imprint of a person. While some retain intelligent thought and the memories of their former selves, they are not the actual person. As I said, the soul can only remain here, unattached, for a short time. If the body is revived within this time then the soul may return, if not then it must move on. Now back to what I was saying. When a person splits their soul into objects it is called a Horcrux. A Horcrux can only be created just after the person wishing to create one has murdered someone. Murder tears the soul temporarily, thus allowing the torn piece to be transferred out of the body and into a solid object."

"And Voldemort created a Horcrux?"

"Yes. Actually he created six."

"Six!" asked Hermione incredulously.

"Yes, he divided his soul up into seven parts, six Horcruxes and the one piece inside his body. He did this because seven is a very powerful magical number. This is the reason why muggles consider it lucky. Though they do have thirteen wrong. Thirteen is an even more powerful number than seven and is in no way unlucky."

"Then why didn't he divide it into thirteen pieces?"

"Because there was no way to be sure that he would survive it. A soul can only take so much damage, too much and the soul can become stuck in limbo; the space between worlds. It was risky enough using seven." he paused to collect his thoughts and think about what he was going to say next. "Now Hermione, what I'm about to tell you is very important, if you don't feel that you can handle this information and keep it a complete secret then speak now. Know that if I tell you this and you tell someone else, I will have to kill you and whomever you told. Got it?"

"I understand Harry, I can keep a secret." she said with complete confidence.

"I want you to swear it. I want a magical oath that you will not reveal what I am about to tell you unless I give you permission. Not even in the event of my death may you tell anyone this information."

Hermione drew her wand and said clearly, "I, Hermione Jane Granger, do hereby swear on my life and magic that I will forever keep Harry Potter's secrets, even after death, unless he tells me otherwise. So mote it be." There was a flash of white light as the oath was accepted. Harry could here the slight trace of fear in her voice as she had sworn her oath, but the mere fact that she was still alive proved that she was being completely honest. He nodded in appreciation and acceptance of her oath and motioned for her to sit down. After she had taken a seat at one of the old desks he seated himself in a chair across from her.

"You are probably wondering how I know so much about Voldemort and his actions, yes?"

She nodded.

"Well, the truth of the matter is: I have a piece of Voldemort's soul inside of me."

Hermione looked alarmed, "Is there any way to get rid of it? Does it hurt you? How-"

"Hermione," he cut her off, "You don't seem to understand. I'll explain how it happened. A couple of months before my eighth birthday my uncle Vernon nearly killed me. I had asked if I could have a piece of my cousin Dudley's birthday cake. They waited until all of the guests had left before punishing me. He beat me, I came out of it with multiple broken ribs, some of which had punctured my lungs and a concussion. Then I was left bleeding and dieing in my cupboard under the stairs. As I lay there, feeling my life slipping away, I heard a voice in my head tell me 'You are weak. You are pathetic. This must change, you must be strong! I will help you, to save our life. I will not allow myself to die!'. This voice belonged to the piece of Voldemort's soul that had been transferred to me when he tried to kill me. It saved my life. By merging our souls together within my body he allowed us to both live to see another day. I owe him everything. Even to this day I can still speak to him in my head, he is always there. I know that you've noticed it before, when my eyes change from green to black, that is an outward sign that I am actively conversing with him. His experience is invaluable. I have access to all of his memories, and when he performed the merger his power joined with mine, therefore more than tripling my magical strength."

Hermione's face had gone through a variety of expressions as he told his story. At first she was furious that his relatives would treat him that way. She had already begun to plan out some violent form of revenge for them when he told her about hearing the voice speaking to him. When he told her about merging souls with Voldemort she was dumbfounded. Then she was shocked and more than a little scared to discover that he could still talk to the Dark Lord in his head, and that was the reason for his shifting eye colors. This was so much for her to take in all at once and she wasn't sure if she could properly process the information without hurting herself. "This is a lot to take in Harry."

"Take your time with it. Think it through. Then ask any questions that you may have."

She nodded and began to review everything that he had told her. At the end she only had three questions, so she asked the most important one, at least in her mind it was the most important. "Is he safe? I mean is it safe for you to have him inside you? I guess what I'm trying to ask is: what's it like to have a Dark Lord in your head?"

"It isn't as bad as you might think. He is actually a really nice guy, once you get to know him. He has a very weird sense of humor. He wanted to curse you the first time we met." He informed her with a soft chuckle at the memory.

"What?" she was embarrassed to her that her voice squeaked. "Why did you, I mean he, want to curse me?"

 _"Because you called us short!"_ "He says, because you called us short."

"I did?" she thought back to there first encounter on the train, replaying the conversation in her head. She giggled, "I guess I did. Sorry about that."

Harry waved it off, "Tom takes offense easily, ( _"Do not!"_ ) it is of no consequence. Don't worry though, he likes you now."

"That's a relief. So um next question: can I kill your relatives?"

He full out laughed at this one. "No, no. Not yet at least. They still have their uses. I have more than paid them back for all of years that they put me through hell. Hell, one of the last times I tortured my aunt she bit off her own tongue. I had to reattach it with magic. So no, not yet."

Surprisingly Hermione didn't seem phased by this information, if anything she looked slightly pleased. "One more question, for now. What are we going to do about the Horcruxes?"

Harry rubbed his chin as he thought about this. "Well, first off you should now that we, meaning Tom and I, already destroyed one that was here in the castle. That was the reason I was in the hospital wing. I was physically exhausted and magically drained. Not to mention that I used white magic to destroy it and that damaged me because, well let's face it, I'm no saint. We don't have to worry about the one in me because it can no longer be used by Voldemort as Tom is a part of me now. So that only leaves Hufflepuff's Cup, Slytherin's Locket, The Gaunt Family Ring and Tom's Diary. Now as for how we find those, I'm not sure. The cup was given to Bellatrix LeStrange for safekeeping. Just as the Diary was given to Lucius Malfoy. The one that we found here was the one given to Snape, Ravenclaw's Diadem. I'll bet that the Diary was somewhere in Malfoy manor. I wonder why I didn't sense it while we were there over Christmas. The cup is either in Black manor or in the LeStrange vault at Gringotts. No way to know for sure since Bellatrix is locked up in Azkaban. The Locket was kept in a secret cave, so I should be able to find it fairly easily. The Ring is in the Gaunt Cottage not far from Little Hangleton. He didn't know about the Horcrux in me, it was created by accident, so if he is ever able to regain physical form then he may create another one. We can go after the Ring and the Locket over the summer. That if you wish to join me."

"I've been with you this far; why not go the rest of the way as well. I'm in." she told him with a smile. She then got up and hugged him and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked after she had pulled away.

"For trusting me." He smiled as well. "Now, on to other business."

"Um, I think not Hermione."

"Why not?"

"Well, I don't know about you but I plan on at least getting some sleep tonight." he said while showing her his watch. It read 2:34 A.M.

"Oh, yeah, I guess you're right."

Harry unfurled the cloak and covered them both with it, then he grabbed Hermione's hand and led her out of the classroom. They quickly made their way back to Ravenclaw Tower, neither noticing that their hands were still linked.

* * *

 **A/N: OK, my longest chapter yet. I hope it was good enough. I am going to try and start making my chapters longer from now on, but don't be surprised if there are still short ones. As always, let me know what you think. No Flames though. This chapter just kinda wrote itself so if there are any mistakes or inconsistencies please feel free to point them out. It helps me be a better writer. Keep sending ideas, they helped me write. Note: I know where the story is going, it's just getting it there that sometimes gives me problems. Oh and if anyone has any information on the PROPER way to perform rituals please PM me with the information. I don't want my story to be unrealistic or anything like that.**

 **Until next time my friends.**

 **-Atrocity.**


	10. Blood and Bonds

10: Blood and Bonds

 **D**

isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable.

A/N: Thanks again to all who helped me by sending in info and ideas. Special thanks to: Cuervo Blanco, darkheart18, Paladeus and Dragcun. There is a bit of foreshadowing in this chapter for those who know what to look for. The rituals mentioned in this chapter are influenced by many different sources sources and warped to both fit my needs and hopefully make them original, I'm am not sure how 'realistic' they are but I like them so yeah. NOTE: there are some things in this chapter that could be considered 'questionable', please know that it is in no way my intention to offend. I say this just to be safe.

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

* * *

 **I Am Atrocity**

 **Chapter X: Blood and Bonds**

 **'Reconcile not with the fear of the snake but embrace it as your own. Inject its venom into your veins, and replant the seed that gives growth. Still shrouded in mystery until you arise above perception. A veil of ignorance is in motion, continuing through out generations...let me be the one that delivers you from the deceit and back in to perfect accordance with the laws of nature.'**

 **The Serpentine Offering by Dimmu Borgir.**

Harry absentmindedly flipped through the pages of the runes book that sat propped up on his knee. He was sitting one of the large blue chairs near the fire with a not so small stack of books surrounding him. It had been over a week since his and Hermione's little venture into the restricted section. They had decided that instead of sneaking in and out every night after classes they would just make a few trips and take any books that appeared useful back to the tower with them. They had been hiding the texts in their dorms and reading them only at night after everyone else had gone to bed or early in the morning before anyone else woke up. This had made things a lot easier on them now that classes had started back up.

He groaned in frustration and closed the book with a snap before adding it to the 'useless' pile and picking up another from the 'yet to be read' pile. In the chair next to his Hermione sat, her pile of books nearly twice the size of Harry's.

All of this research was practically useless; Harry already had a list of rituals that he was going to use and since she now knew about Tom there was no reason to hide the fact that he already knew how to do them. But Hermione had wanted to do some research anyway just in case they found more that they could add to the list. He could see the point of that but he was more than a little impatient. He wanted to get on with it so he could work on destroying the parasite. He had yet to tell Hermione about the parasite but he was going to do it later that night after classes. It was Friday so they didn't have to worry about getting up early for class the next day.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, he was itching for something to do and it was driving him crazy. After what felt like hours they finally packed up their books and stashed them back in their hiding places. They then met back up in the common room and headed down to breakfast.

This day was starting off as a very boring one in Harry's opinion. They arrived and took their places at the Ravenclaw table, they ate, Hermione received her daily addition of the Daily Prophet. He cast a glance at the Slytherin table, still the same. After the news of Malfoy's murder a large percentage of the house had taken to being a bit...paranoid. It was like they expected the now infamous 'Erebus' to pop up out of nowhere and torture them to death. Honestly, he had no intention of doing that anytime soon, though Pansy would get hers sometime in the not so distant future. Speaking of Pansy, she, along with Crabbe and Goyle, had taken to moping; well Pansy moped, Crabbe and Goyle just looked lost but that was perfectly normal.

He filled his plate with eggs, bacon and a small assortment of fresh fruits and happily tucked in, taking his time and simply enjoying the fine cooking offered by Hogwarts' House Elves.

He looked up from his half eaten breakfast to see Hermione staring at a page in the newspaper with her brow furrowed. "Anything interesting in there?"

"I'm not sure.." she answered cryptically without looking up from the page. "It's just...here read this section here." she said handing him the paper and indicating the article that she was referring to. He read the short passage silently whilst nibbling on a strawberry. It talked about a small isolated magical village near Italy having all of its villagers vanish. Apparently all of the buildings had not been touched but all of the town's residents had mysteriously disappeared. Authorities had claimed that the entire place looked untouched by violence, the doors were unlocked with no signs of forced entry, and more than a few homes still had food on the table like the families had just sat down for a meal. That was weird.

"Keep an eye on the papers for anything else. I don't know what is going on but that doesn't sound like Voldemort's style, nor his Death Eaters'." Harry told her as he folded up the newspaper and passed it back to her.

"Okay."

Harry turned back to his food deep in thought. They were close to the full moon, the night that they were to perform the rituals had to be on the eve of the full moon. Midnight would be the ideal time to begin, they only had a three hour window of time to properly perform the first set of rituals twice, once for each of them. From midnight to three in the morning was the time of day when the veil separating the mortal realm from the spirit realm was the thinnest, muggles referred to it as the 'witching hour'; they didn't know how right they were. The first that they would perform would be a ritual sacrifice to the god Odin in order to receive a gift of greater strength, speed and endurance. The only problem was that he had yet to acquire all of the necessary objects. For the sacrifice to Odin he would need three animals and his own blood as offerings in return for each gift received. A bull for strength, goat for speed and a horse for endurance. His own blood would tie the ritual to him and only him. The same process would be repeated for Hermione. Later, after speaking to Hermione he was going to sneak out of the castle and into the forest to search out decent spots to perform the rituals. His only problem was that he needed a way to get the animals he needed into the forest.

He chewed a piece of bacon thoughtfully. **_Perhaps I should use magical creatures instead._** _"That would not be wise."_ ** _Why not?_** _"They are magical creatures and the natural magic within them could disrupt or even change the outcome of the ritual. That is why I never used them: it throws in too many variables."_ ** _I see. Then how am I going to get the animals into the school, and then to the forest?_** _"Hagrid?"_ ** _You know...that might not be a bad idea. I'll talk to him during break._**

* * *

Harry was quickly making his way down the slopes of Hogwarts' lawn heading in the direction of the small hut sitting near the edge of the forbidden forest. He slowed down to a casual walk as he came within twenty yards of his destination. The 'man' that he was searching for was sitting on the front steps of the house playing a flute of some sort. He stopped and looked up at Harry's approach.

"Harry? That you?"

"Hey Hagrid! Sorry I haven't come and visited sooner but well...I need a favor." Harry told him, cutting straight to the chase.

"Eh? What kind of favor?" Hagrid asked.

"Well, since you are the groundskeeper and I've heard around that you have an affinity with animals." Hagrid nodded. "Well, I was wondering if there was anyway that you could acquire some animals for me."

"Sure, but that would depend on what type o' animals yer wantin' ." Hagrid said, now looking a slight bit suspicious.

"Nothing fancy. Just a couple of bulls, a couple of male goats, a couple of horses, preferably young, healthy and strong. Oh and two Texas rattlesnakes."

"Well, those should not be too hard to get. But they cost money."

"I can take care of the expenses, surely Dumbledore must have one of my vault keys right?"

"Well o' course. I got it right here." he reached into his pocket and withdrew a shiny silver key. Harry was more than a little angered that his vault keys were being circulated so carelessly, though he didn't show it, and made a note to take care of that as soon as possible.

"Then you can get them for me?"

"Sure. But Harry, I got to ask, what do you want with these animals?" Hagrid asked, the suspicion returning.

"That's private. But lets just say that if everything goes according to plan then it could be very 'profitable for me." Harry said.

"OK. Is there a time that you need them by?"

"As soon as possible, before the full moon if you can, that would be best."

"Alright."

Harry turned to walk away but stopped after a few steps and turned back to the half-giant. "Oh and Hagrid, thank you."

"For what?" Hagrid asked, confused.

"For saving me from the burning ruble of my parents home." Harry answered, inwardly smirking.

"Oh. Don't mention it Harry."

"Still, thank you."

He made to leave again but again he stopped and turned back.

"Hagrid, can you tell me why there is a large three-headed dog on the third floor?"

"Who told you about Fluffy!"

"Fluffy? It has a name?" Harry asked bewildered.

"Of course he does, he's mine. Bought him off of a Greek chap that I met in a pub last year. Then I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the Stone." he rambled out.

"What stone?"

"I shouldn't have said that. No more questions, that's top secret." Hagrid said in a way that he must have thought was an authoritative manner, but it really just came out sounding desperate.

"Okay Hagrid, I'm sorry for being nosy. It's just in my nature to want to know stuff. Must be a Ravenclaw thing. It just sounded like it might be interesting is all."

Hagrid nodded like it was obvious. "That is understandable, there are quite a few who are interested in the work of Nicolas Flamel, after all he is one of the leading names in alchemy."

"Nicolas Flamel? Alchemy, you say? Interesting I'll look him up. Thanks Hagrid!"

With that he turned and made his way back up the lawns to the castle leave a muttering half-giant repeating "I shouldn't have said that." over and over again.

* * *

Later that evening Harry and Hermione were back in the abandoned classroom where they had had their earlier conversation. They were sitting on two chairs on either side of what at one point was the teacher's desk.

"Okay Hermione. First off, I think that we have more than enough rituals picked out." He told her. She opened her mouth to protest but he held up a hand to stop her. "We need to perform these as soon as possible, time is of the essence. Now, I already have a date and time picked out. And I'm having Hagrid bring in the animals that are going to be needed. Now the day is next Saturday. At about ten we will sneak out gather our supplies and head into the forest to perform the rituals. We will begin at midnight. Now we only have a three hour window to work within so we will have to quick and efficient."

Hermione had been nodding along with his words until he mentioned that they only had three hours to perform four rituals. "What do you mean 'we only have three hours'?"

Harry was surprised that she didn't already know this. "Have you heard of the witching hour?" She shook her head, further surprising Harry. "Well, the witching hour begins at midnight and ends at three in the morning. It is the time of day when the veil between our world and the Spirit World is the thinnest. It is the ideal time for rituals. I'm shocked that you didn't already know this seeing as muggles are the ones who named it the witching hour. The absolute most ideal time to perform rituals is midnight on the winter solstice. On that day and on All Hallows Eve the veil between worlds is almost nonexistent and ambient magic of the world, pure magic, is at its highest level. This lends more power to the caster, but we don't have the time to waste waiting for those days to come around again. This is also why we magic users are more powerful on those days. We are weakest on the summer solstice when the veil is thickest. Magic leaks into our world from the spirit world."

"So, the thicker the veil the less magic that flows through?" Hermione asked.

"Yes."

Hermione shook her head slightly as she processed this information. "How do you know all of this stuff Harry?"

"Tom did a lot of research while he was alive. There was an ancient Celtic race that lived on these Isles called the Picts. They were natural magic users, in fact the Druids of later years were direct descendants of them. The Picts as we know of them today came at a much later date than the ones I am referring to. They came to these lands over a thousand years before the time of Christ. They discovered the veil with the help of the gods. Yes Hermione there are gods." he said this last part when Hermione looked skeptical. She had never been religious, no one in her family was, so the idea of people having contact with deities seemed a bit farfetched.

"At that time, when there was so much ambient magic in the world the veil remained nearly nonexistent all year round. The gods, as we know them, were able to pass over into this plain and interact physically with mortals. They walked the earth alongside us, guiding us. The majority of the Greek myths are all true. As are those of practically every other civilization."

"But what about God, of the Christian religion?" Hermione asked.

"In those days he wasn't referred to as God. He was known to all as The Creator. The Christians have the story mostly right. Except that they try to deny the existence of the other, less powerful, gods. They claim that if you worship another god other than The Creator then you will go to Hell. Hell does exist, just not in the way that it is commonly thought of. The veil can distort reality. If a man who lived a good life and didn't commit any wrong doings, he would go to what he thought of as Heaven. Those who are Christians would go to Heaven. If they believed in Valhalla, they go to Valhalla. If they believed in Elysium, they went to Elysium. And it's the same thing with Hell, Niflheim, The Fields of Punishment. It's all the same place, just different perceptions of it."

Harry waited patiently while Hermione thought this information over. "Continue." was all that she said.

Harry nodded. "We have gotten off topic. Now, as I was saying, the Picts discovered the veil between worlds through the gods that walked the earth at the time. They recorded all of their findings on scrolls made of animal skin. Tom found these scrolls in a cave in Ireland, near the northern end of the Island. It is also in this way that he discovered the rituals that we are going to use in their earliest and purest forms. The modern rituals are less direct, less reliable, there are just too many variables with all of the bullshit that they add to them that supposedly make them better. All they do is create more ways for something to go wrong. That is why they are so restricted by the Ministry. Too many accidents."

"I can understand why you would want to use the full moon, but why are you in such a hurry?" Hermione asked. It was a fair question, and one that he had no problem answering.

"Voldemort."

"I don't understand."

"He is attempting to return, I'm not sure how at the moment but I intend to stop him before he does." Harry clarified.

"How do you know that he is trying to come back?"

"First off, Hermione, what I am about to tell you is a secret."

She nodded, understanding that with those words her oath was now in effect. She knew that making such a specifically worded oath could be risky but she wanted, no needed, Harry to trust her. She needed him to know that she would never willingly betray him. She didn't know why she cared so much, it was like an instinct, something that pulled her to him. It called out to her, and when ever they so much as held hands it was like her magic sang.

"Voldemort is here in the castle. I'm not referring to Tom, nor am I talking about a Horcrux. No, this one is more like a leech, a parasite. It is living off of another. The host is aware and willing; so because of that I have no qualms about ending his life. The only problem is that I do not know if I am strong enough to do so at this point in time."

"So, that was who Snape and Quirrell were talking to that night?" Hermione asked him.

"Yes, my guess it that there is some physical manifestation of him somewhere on Quirrell. Perhaps under that ridiculous turban of his." _"Hehe, that must suck for them both. One having to wear a towel on their head all day and the other only getting to stare at the towel all day. Haha! Could you imagine how uncomfortable it would be if he sneezed in there. It would fly right back in his face! Oh no! What if the parasite got sick and threw up? Haha! Hey Harry!"_ ** _What?_** _"I just thought of a way we can kill the parasite, hardly any magic involved."_ ** _How?_** _"We stun or petrify Quirrell, take off the turban, find a really big and fluffy pillow and lay him on his back so that the parasite smothers in the pillow!"_ ** _Interesting, but I still think that it would be easier if I could just blow his head off. Plus there is no guarantee that we can smother the damned thing._** _"Fine, fine. Just go and shoot my ideas down without any consideration."_ ** _I didn't 'shoot it down'._** _"Are you sure? Because I'm quite positive that it just burst into flame and crashed into the side of a mountain."_ Harry shook his head as Tom continued on about how unfair it was that he couldn't talk to them out loud and how Harry was being a 'big fat meanie faced Hitler mustache', whatever the hell that meant.

Harry forced himself to focus on his previous conversation, his little talk with Tom having distracted him. "Sorry, Tom was talking to me." He told Hermione, who had sat waiting patiently throughout the silent exchange. He tried to find a way to word his next sentence so that it wouldn't get Hermione worried. Finding no way of putting it delicately without bending the truth he settled for just the truth. "The truth is, The encounter with the Horcrux very nearly cost me my life. I could barely fight it off when it tried to take over my body. I had tried to use white magic to destroy it, and it worked, but it also dealt me some serious damage as well. I probably would have died on the floor in that room if Tom hadn't been able to take over control long enough to get me to the hospital wing."

As expected Hermione became instantly worried, her eyes showing her emotions very clearly. She looked like she wanted nothing more than to hug him to make sure that he was really OK now. However she sensed that there was more that needed to be said and stayed where she was.

"Tom and I both agreed that we needed to either find a new way to destroy them or that we need to get stronger. This is why we need to perform these rituals as soon as possible." He concluded.

"Okay Harry." Hermione said with a sigh. Then she remembered something that he had said earlier. "What kind of objects are you having Hagrid bring in for you?"

"Oh, well...they aren't really objects, I'm just calling them that as a sort of codeword I guess. In reality he is bringing in animals." He told her.

"Why is he bringing you animals?" she asked, confusion clear in her voice.

"Two reasons. One: they are needed for the rituals. Two: as a test for you."

"Explain."

"The first ritual requires a sacrifice, one for each gift that we wish to receive. And because an animal is not so different from a human, if you can take an animal's life then you can take a human life."

Hermione paled slightly at the thought of killing but pushed aside her misgivings and, after swallowing the lump in her throat, asked him "What kind of animals are we talking about?"

"One bull, one goat and one horse each. Also a rattlesnake for each of us." He listed off, Hermione flinched when he said 'horse'. She loved horses. Harry noticed this and reached across the desk to place his hand over hers. He gave an affectionate squeeze. "Hermione, this is only a one time thing. I promise that after this you don't want to kill another animal then I won't force you to. Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay," she murmured and squeezed back with a small, thankful smile.

Harry then steered the conversation to more mundane matters, taking this opportunity to get know more about his best friend. They carried on the conversation all the way back to the common room.

* * *

Harry bounded down the stairs that led to the boy's dorm three at a time. He had his invisibility cloak slung over one arm as he made his way toward the portrait hole. Hermione, who was sitting on the couch reading, looked up as he went by. "Where are you going?" she asked him.

"I am going to the forest to scout out some good clearings where we can perform our rituals." He replied.

Hermione looked at her watch, it read 1:56 A.M. "At this hour?"

"What better time? I'll be able to go in without having to worry about someone noticing that I'm gone."

"But the forest is most dangerous at night," she protested. "Most of the predators in the forest are nocturnal."

"I'll be fine Hermione. I have my cloak and my wand." he told her seriously.

"But why not wait until in the morning? It's Saturday, so no classes, and you would be able to see better in the daylight." she tried to reason with him. The thought of him going into the forest alone at night caused her heart to freeze and her mind to panic. What if he got hurt? Or killed? What then? She didn't want to think about those possibilities so she shook those thoughts away.

"Because Hermione, don't you think that someone would notice my absence during the day?"

"No, not if you used your cloak."

Harry knew that she was probably right, but he was too stubborn to admit it. As it was he was wishing that he had put the cloak on before leaving his dorm.

"Please Harry. Don't go out there tonight. Just listen to me for once. For me, please." She knew that she was begging but at the moment she didn't care. His safety was more important than her pride. Harry couldn't figure out what it was, as soon as she had uttered the words 'for me' his resolve had crumbled completely. He found himself nodding.

"Okay Hermione, you win." he turned to head back up to his dorm. When he reached the stairs he turned back to face her. "But don't think that just because I agreed with you tonight that I'm going to let you come along tomorrow. Even in the daylight the forest is a dangerous place. If I run into a creature I won't be able to focus on the fight properly if I'm worrying about your safety so you are staying here when I go. Got it?"

Hermione smiled, touched by his concern for her well-being. "Of course Harry." He nodded and climbed the stairs and entered his dorm. After returning his cloak to his trunk he changed into his nightwear and climbed into his bed.

* * *

Harry and Hermione stood at the edge of the forest, hidden from view by the magic of the invisibility cloak. After a full two hours of arguing, during which Harry discovered that Hermione was even more stubborn than he was, he had finally given in and allowed her to accompany him. Her argument was that because they were hardly ever not in the company of the other, one of them disappearing for the whole day while the other moped about in a worried mood for the whole would raise more than a few eyebrows. It would probably set off even more red flags in Dumbledore's case.

So here she was, waiting while Harry made a discreet but distinctive mark on a tree so that they could find their way when they came back and so that they would know how to get back to the areas that they chose.

They continued to do this as they moved deeper into the forest. The deeper they went, the darker and more dense it got.

Eventually they came to a large clearing, the entire area inside the ring of trees was barren, no grass grew within the circle and the earth appeared to be of a gray black color, like ashes. They stepped out from the treeline and into the clearing. From the second that her foot touched the ash like dirt Hermione knew that this place was magical. There was an aura about it, a clean pure feeling. Apparently Harry had felt it too because he was looking around the large open area in awe. Neither had to say it, they both knew that they had found the perfect place.

Harry snapped out of his stupor and looked at his watch. "It took us just over an hour to get here from the edge of the forest, that was with the frequent stops to mark the path. That's good time." she noticed that he was whispering, as if he didn't wish to disturb the tranquility of the place unnecessarily. "We should head back now."

She nodded and they turned to head back the way that they had come. They were about half way back when they ran into the first creature that they had seen since entering the forest. It was a creature of small size, but that did not take away from the ferocity of its appearance. At first glace one would have thought that it was just a normal short old man with a staff in his hand and wearing a red hat. But on closer inspection one would notice that its hand had long sharp nails, like the talons of a bird, it's teeth were large and razor sharp, its eyes were red and held a glint of murderous intent, and the cloth cap upon its head, which appeared to be made of red wool, was actually stained a deep crimson with fresh blood. The staff in his left hand was revealed to be a five and a half foot long pike and its feet were clad in iron boots.

The being grinned wickedly at them and began to advance on them with its pike poised to strike. Hermione was wracking her brain for any information on what this creature was but she was coming up blank. Harry had a grim look on his face as he watched the thing's every move. He held his arm out as a signal for Hermione to step back; she did so.

Harry raised his wand and pointed it at the advancing creature; she absently noted that it wasn't the same wand as he usually used, this one was black and just a bit longer. "Stop now. Turn back and I'll let you live." Harry told it in a cold, even tone.

The creature let out a loud cackle. "Ha! Foolish boy. Come, I'll slice you to pieces and use your blood to make my cap nice and bright again!" It now marched at Harry with quick strides. Harry fired off a cutting hex at its neck but the thing brought its pike up and batted the spell away, all the while drawing closer to its prey.

"Harry, we should run," Hermione said, her voice laced in fear.

The demonic looking being cackled again, "Silly girl, running will do you no good. It is impossible to escape me!"

"It's right Hermione. There is no possible way we could outrun him." Harry said as he shot a stunner and a disarming jinx at the creature, both of which were deflected as easily as the cutting hex had been. When it was within twenty feet of them it lurched forward with a sudden burst of speed that Hermione had a hard time following. Without warning it swung the blade of the pike at Harry, who barely avoided being cut in half by the deadly weapon.

It growled and swung again, this time nearly taking off Harry's head. Harry was barely staying out of reach, shooting a variety of spells at the thing, all of which never reached their mark. Harry dove behind a tree as the pike's blade sailed toward his head. There was a loud thud as the blade buried itself deep in the trunk of the tree that Harry was hiding behind. With a howl of frustration the creature released the handle of the weapon and charged at Harry with its talons bared. It slashed wildly at Harry as he narrowly avoided the razor-like appendages.

While this was going on Hermione had stepped over to the tree where the pike was stuck and began pulling on it, trying desperately to free the blade from the thick wood. She cast a glance over her shoulder at the fight still raging behind her to Harry fall onto his back, his hands clutching at the four deep gashes now visible on his right arm. His wand fell uselessly to land amongst the leaves on the forest floor. "Harry!" Her mind went completely blank as she stared in horror at the scene, not noticing her body moving on its own. She drew her wand and shouted the first spell that came to her. " _Flipendo_!" The beam of light raced toward the creature, its claws raised and ready to deal a killing blow to the helpless boy laying before him, and struck it in its side, sending it off of its feet and onto its back. She gave a hard pull on the pike and felt it come free. Still not in control of herself she ran at the creature as it was attempting to regain its feet and plunged the blade of the pike into its chest.

It released a scream of pain and rage and tried to hit her with its claws, missing as she pulled the blade out and then shoved it forcefully back in. She continued stabbing the creature over and over in its chest and neck. Blood spared up onto her clothes and face every time she yanked the blade from its flesh. Her mind was in a frenzy, her vision distorted by a red haze. She felt hands settle on her shoulders and pull her away from her victim; she fought the grip, trying in vain to continue her vicious assault. She could hear a voice calling her name but it sounded as if it were coming from over a great distance.

"Hermione...Hermione!" the world rushed back into focus so fast that it made her dizzy. She was suddenly fully aware of her surroundings, the butchered body on the ground in front of her, the blood coating her clothes and skin, Harry's voice in her ear. "Hermione, come away. Its dead. You killed it. Come away."

Her hands went numb and the pike fell easily through her lifeless fingers. Shocked flooded through her as she took in the carnage before her. She noticed absently that the cap that had been sitting on the being's head was now laying next to a tree far away from the body, and the blood coating it was now dried. Harry circled around in front of her and flicked his wand, causing all of the blood on her to vanish. He looked into her eyes and pulled her wordlessly into a comforting embrace. She wasn't sure how long they were standing there before her emotions began to slowly leak back into existence, they surprised her. There was shock at what she had just done, relief that she had been able to save Harry and...satisfaction? Yes, satisfaction. It filled her, overpowering the shock and pushing it completely aside, as she turned in Harry's arms to observe her handiwork. This confused her, but decided to ignore it for now.

She turned back to Harry, her eyes landing on his torn sleeve and the blood-caked skin beneath it. "Harry, you're bleeding."

He looked down at his arm, "It's nothing, I'm fine." he dismissed but Hermione caught the slight wince as he shrugged.

"Let me look at it." He tried to protest but she ignored him and lifted the sleeve to reveal four long gashes. She examined them closely. They didn't appear to be very deep, just a graze really. But still, it needed to be cleaned and bandages before it became infected.

Without a word she reached down and, using a quick cutting hex, ripped a long stretch of fabric from her shirt, exposing her flat stomach. She used her wand to clean out the wounds and swiftly wrapped the cloth around his arm. "What was that thing?" she asked as she tied the makeshift bandage tightly.

"Redcap." Harry answered, "They always appear as old men. They're impossible fast, no mortal can outrun them. They have to kill often because if the blood on their cap goes dry then they die. They usually inhabit abandoned castles and other ruins. I wonder why this one was in the forest."

"I don't know, but I think that we should get out of here."

"I agree."

* * *

A week had passed since their first trip into the forest and the night of the full moon had arrived. Hagrid had come through and gotten all of the animals that Harry had asked for, all in their prime. Perfect.

Harry knelt down as he traced a rune onto the fifth and final stone of his ritual circle. With a flash they activated and the clearing was lit up with an ethereal green light as a series of glowing lines appeared. They took the form of a pentacle, a five pointed star, followed by a circle which enclosed the ritual area. In the center of the star sat three objects, the first was a plain square of pine wood, the second was a silver dagger similar to the one used to kill Malfoy, and the third was a longer silver blade, this one three feet in length. Silver was to be used because it was one of the purest substances on or in the earth, second only to diamond.

Off to the side Hermione stood with the animals, she absently stroked the mane of one of the horses as she watched him make the preparations. Over the past week they had gone to the classroom, that they had now claimed as theirs, and gone over the details of the rituals they were to perform. Hermione practiced the words until she could recite them all from memory.

Harry nodded to her, signaling that it was time to begin. He stepped out of the circle and removed his outer robe. He folded it neatly and placed it on the ground at his feet. He repeated this process until he stood completely nude. He then removed his useless glasses and added them to the pile. All the while Hermione watched in interest, blushing as he turned to her and motioned for her to do the same. She shyly averted her eyes as she began to strip off her clothes. As she had, Harry watched the entire process with unblinking eyes. He stared in wonder at her after she had removed the last stitch of her clothing. They stood there, each unashamedly studying the others anatomy.

 _"Harry, snap out of it! We got some rituals to perform. You two can mentally fuck each other once we are back in the tower."_ Tom's crude remark was enough to bring Harry back to reality. He made his way over and pulled his three beasts into the brightly glowing circle, all the while forcing his mind to stay on task and not on Hermione's young supple body. He dropped to his knees and began to carve a series of runes into the surface of the wooden tablet. That done, he placed it back onto the forest floor. He grabbed the longer of the blades and stood. He made his way to the animals that were completely calm thanks to the properties of the circle.

He first approached the bull. He positioned the blades tip at an angle against its ribs. He closed his eyes and began to chant, the old Nordic words flowing smoothly off of his tongue. As he finished the first incantation he forced the blade passed the ribs to puncture the bulls heart. As the final word left his lips the beast fell dead at his feet. He moved on and repeated the process on the other two before moving back to where the tablet lay.

He lifted the tablet and wiped the blade across its surface, smearing the blood of all three of his sacrifices onto it. He then picked up the dagger and placed the tip over his heart. He began another chant as he slowly pierced the skin of his chest and drug the blade in a series of lines, he pulled the blade away and began another set on the opposite side of his chest. He carved a third into his stomach, above his navel before wiping the blade onto the tablet as well.

He checked the runes that he had just carved into his flesh. Strength, Speed, Stamina/endurance. The three gifts that he wished to receive. He placed the blade down and began the last set of chants. When he finished there was a blinding white flash from the wooden tablet. The runes on his body began to glow as well, as did the bodies of the slain beasts. There was a sound like a thunderclap and the light vanished. He blinked his eyes as the glowing lines of the circle and star faded. The animal carcasses had vanished, leaving no sign that they had ever been there. He looked at himself to find that his his muscles were more toned and hard, and that his torn flesh had been healed, leaving behind three scars in the shape of the runes that he had carved. He stood and made to walk over to wear Hermione was standing, staring at him with wide eyes. He stepped up in front of her, she continued to gaze at his body as he did so.

"Like what you see?" he asked teasingly. She blinked and blushed as she realized that she had been caught staring but she still had a dazed look on her face. "Hermione, close your mouth. You're drooling." Her jaw snapped shut with and audible click as her cheeks grew even more red. He chuckled at her embarrassment and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "It's your turn now."

She nodded and led her animals over to her circle. She activated her last stone and began to work. She made it through without much difficulty, though she did hesitate for a second before killing the horse. As the light faded from the acceptance of the sacrifice it was Harry's turn to stare and drool. As with him Hermione's scars had faded, but hers were nearly invisible, and her body had grown a bit. Her muscles were now toned and she had been able to maintain her slim figure at the same time. **_Wow._** _"Harry, what did I say about waiting until we get back to the castle? Harry! Harry! Harry snap out of it!"_ He completely ignored Tom and made his way over to her and before his rational mind could comprehend what was happening he had pressed his lips against hers in a searing kiss.

It was as if a dam had been broken. Waves of raw emotion poured through both of them as they each continued to kiss the other. Both barely noticing the white lights glowing in the center of their chests and extending out of their bodies to connect and join between them.

The light faded and they each pulled back, both with wide grins and glassy eyes. In unison they spoke the only word that either of them could form articulately at the moment, "Wow."

"Harry, what was that?" Hermione choked out as she found her voice again.

Harry gave her a smirk, "That, was a kiss Hermione."

She hit him playfully on the chest, "Prat. I meant that light."

"Oh, I have no idea." _"Holy Hades on stick! Was that what I think it was?"_ ** _I don't know. What do you think it was?_** _"That-that was a fucking soul bond! Dear God. That was scary."_ ** _Why was that scary? What's a soul bond?_** _"It was scary because I was in fear for my life! Soul bonds are very rare, they only occur when someone comes into romantic interaction with their true soul mate. I had read about them at one point but dismissed them as useless. Dammit! Now we are stuck with her!"_ ** _Hey! I heard that!_** ** _What the hell! Hermione? Is that you?_** ** _Yes, it's me. Would either of you care to explain what is going on?_** _"HARRY DID IT!"_ ** _No, really?_** _"Really really/"_ ** _Harry did what?_** ** _Tom says that we are soul bonded. Something about soul mates._** ** _Oh. Uh oh._** ** _What? What's wrong?_** ** _My parents are going to kill me._** ** _Why?_** ** _Because Harry, a soul bond counts as a legally binding marriage._** ** _Oh. Yup, we're dead._** _"As interesting as this is, in case you have forgotten you both still have another ritual to perform."_ ** _Oh yeah._**

Harry broke off the mental connection, he found that it was very similar to when he would converse with Tom and then end the conversation. He looked down at the witch still in his arms, "Well, one more to go." She nodded. "We'll talk more about this later."

The next ritual was more straightforward. No glowing circles, no blood offerings. He lifted one of the rattlesnakes out of the container that they were kept in, holding it firmly behind the head. He picked up another dagger and began to chant softly while he carved another rune, this time into the top of the snake's head. It flashed red as it activated. He then guided the serpents mouth to his left forearm where it promptly sunk its fangs into him. He grimaced as he felt the power-laced venom travel through his veins, burning a path to his heart. The snake turned to ashes in his hand and he let out a scream as the venom reached his magical core. Hermione watched in horror as he thrashed about on the forest floor. Then he fell still. She called out his name as she ran over to him. She checked his pulse and found that it was beating strongly. She let out a sigh of relief and opened up the newly established connection.

 ** _Harry?_** _"He is fine. Fear not."_ She let out another sigh. After a few minutes he began to stir. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "That hurt like hell."

She gave him a bone-crushing hug in response. After she was sure that he was fine she performed her ritual. When she awakened they both dressed back in their clothes. Harry checked his watch, 2:59 A.M. "We cut it kind of close but we made our deadline."

They made their way back to the castle, snuck back into the tower and retreated to their beds. Both exhausted from the nights events and unwilling to stay awake any longer. Without thinking, they both entered Harry's dorm and stripped down to their underwear before crawling into his bed, closing the curtains and casting some privacy spells. They then cuddled up to each other and fell into a world dreams.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, that was unexpected. I didn't initially plan for them to become involved in this chapter. It just happened. Oh well. It kinda fit. As always, let me know what you think. No Flames.**

 **-Atrocity.**


	11. Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

11: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

 **D**

isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable.

NOTE: there are a few pieces that are taken directly from the book, I don't own these. They were written by J.K. Rowling, so this is me giving her the credit for them.

A/N: As pointed out in reviews, there are a few loose ends to tie up. The Serpentine Offering seems to be the biggest one. Yes, that ritual was partially inspired by a song. Other than that it was a reference to Native American magic (I think. I could be wrong). There is information in this chapter that is definitely not canon (though the fact that this is AU was obvious from the beginning), just to let you know. Oh, and there is a mention of homosexuality, know that I am not against this, to each his own.

I hope that I didn't end up making the Harry/Hermione interactions cliché, I wish to avoid that.

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

* * *

 **I Am Atrocity**

 **Chapter XI: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust**

 **'Console yourself, you're better alone. Destroy yourself, see who gives a fuck. Absorb yourself, you're better alone. Destroy yourself!'**

 **Laid to Rest by Lamb of God.**

A sharp tapping sound reverberated through his mind, slowly penetrating the cloudy haze of sleep. It increased in speed and volume, then fell silent. A second later the silence was shattered by the sound of something forcefully slamming into the window next to his bed. His eyes snapped open and with a yelp of surprise he tumbled from the bed to land on the floor with a dull thud. He quickly scrambled to his feet as he cast his glance around to see if any of the other boys had been awakened by the noise. The all slept on peacefully. As did the brown haired girl that lay tangled in his sheets. He stared down at a scantily clad Hermione, her features set in a content expression, her breathing slow and even and her hair spread out on the pillow beneath her head.

A warm feeling spread through him as he took in the sight. If what the information that they had was true, then he was legally and officially married to the young witch that was sharing his bed.

He was broken from his revery by the return of the sharp tapping. He turned to the window to find an owl waiting there, snapping its beak impatiently at him. He quickly made his way to the window to let the owl in, but as soon as he had the window open the owl simply stuck out its leg, silently telling him to take the letter that was tied to it. He did so and the owl flew back off into the night.

He pulled the window closed and latched it. Returning to the bed he looked at the envelope in his hand. He was just about to break the seal when he felt something snag on his foot. He bent down and removed the object, he held it up in the low light from the moon. It was Hermione's skirt. His eyes widened and he looked down to the floor. There, where it had been tossed carelessly a couple of hours ago, was the rest of her outfit. He looked at his sleeping dorm-mates and then back at the piece of clothing in his hand. If they saw these it would raise many awkward, unwanted questions. He swiftly gathered up the discarded articles and stuffed them into his trunk, which he then locked. He sighed and sat down on top of his trunk and tore open the seal, which he now recognized as the Ministry seal. **_Of course, only the Ministry would send someone a letting at four o'clock in the fucking morning._** He mentally grumbled. _"Well, I could have told you that. Those bastards have no respect for the lives of others. We should kill them."_ ** _Don't start that again...we'll get them later._**

He opened the letter and read:

 _Dear Mr. & Mrs. Potter,_

 _We at the Ministry wish to offer you our congratulations on your recent marriage. Enclosed within is a copy of your marriage certificate._

 _Best wishes,_

 _David Scurlock_

 _Overseer, Ministry Archives._

 ** _Well, that was a waste of parchment wasn't it?_** _"I'll say, They could have at least sent a gift basket. I mean, it's not every day that THE Harry Potter gets married. He must not be a fan. I wonder if he supported me when I was alive."_ ** _Well, we both know that he isn't a Death Eater. Or at least he wasn't when you were still alive._** _"If he is, then he isn't marked."_ ** _Wait a minute. Why are we considering if he is a Death Eater just because he didn't send a 'wedding present'?_** _"I don't know. You brought it up."_ ** _Did not! You did._** _"When?"_ ** _When you said that you wondered if he supported you._** _"I have no idea what you are talking about."_ ** _Yes you do! You said, and I quote: 'I wonder if he supported me when I was alive"._** _"Harry, we already determined that he doesn't like you. Otherwise he would have sent flowers...or something."_ ** _We were talking about you!_** _"When?"_ ** _Just a moment ago!_** _"Are you sure? Because I'm pretty sure that I would have noticed that."_ Harry let out a frustrated groan. **_You did notice it. You were talking about the guy that just sent me a congratulation letter for my marriage._** _"YOU'RE MARRIED! Okay, now you're just making things up."_ ** _You were there!_** _"No I wasn't. I would remember that."_ Harry sighed and made his way back to the bed. _"Holy Hell Harry! There's a naked girl in your bed! Okay, I must be dreaming. There is no way in the Nine Hells that you could get that lucky."_ ** _Thanks for the vote of confidence. That's my wife. Hermione. Ring any bells?_** _"Nope."_ ** _Are you kidding me?_** _"Absolutely."_

He tossed the envelope onto the small table next to his bed next to his glasses and climbed cautiously into the bed, so as not to wake Hermione. As soon as he had settled in Hermione rolled over and snuggled herself up against him, seeking his warmth. He gently placed his arms around her and pulled her closer. She let out a contented sigh and nuzzled her face into his chest, still sleeping peacefully. _"Aw, isn't she cute!"_ ** _Shut up Tom._** _"Harry and Hermione sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-"_ ** _It would be in your best interest not to finish that._** _"Oh, that's cool. I forgot the next line anyway."_ ** _Why am I not surprised?_** _"Ow, that hurt!"_ ** _No it didn't._** _"You're right. But still."_ ** _Go to sleep Tom._** _"You go to sleep. I'm having too much fun."_ ** _Doing what! No wait, don't answer that, I don't want to know._** _"For your information I am trying to beat myself at dominoes. It isn't as easy as it sounds you know."_ ** _But, if you are playing against yourself don't you win either way?_** _"Oh yeah. Damn I'm good! Look at how badly I kicked my own ass."_ Harry closed his eyes, attempting to ignore Tom as he went on and on about the 'strategy' of Dominoes.

* * *

Harry and Hermione sat quietly reading in the common room. It was still early, only seven. Most students didn't start waking up on the weekends until nine or so. They had easily staged Hermione waking up in her own dorm, with the help of the invisibility cloak. Harry set his book down and began to softly rub the two marks on his left forearm where the snake had bit him. It was an unconscious act. There was still a dull pain where the fangs had sunk deep into his flesh. It would take a few days before the effects of the ritual became noticeable. It was designed to do two things: The first was to give the performer a natural immunity to most poisons and venom, as well as a heightened resistance to the rest. Second it would expand the users magical core to nearly triple its current size as well as enable the caster to put more power behind his or her spells. By definition, it was an offering to Hecate, the goddess of magic, witchcraft and necromancy. By taking the serpent's venom into oneself it proved that one was willing to give anything for the power, even their own life. It was risky, but it was the only ritual that would grant any significant boost in power.

 ** _Harry? You okay?_** ** _Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking._** _"No wonder I have a headache."_ ** _Shut up Tom._** _"I can't shut up Harry. I technically don't have a mouth."_ ** _You know what I meant._** _"I have no clue what you are talking about. Now hush up, I'm trying to win again."_ ** _Is he always like that?_** ** _No, he is usually a lot worse. So about this bond..._** _"Yeah, about that...is there gonna be cake?"_ ** _Huh?_** _"You know, cake. At the wedding. I love wedding cake. My favorite was this honey flavored one that I had in Glasgow. Of course I only got a little of it because the damned bridesmaid had to go and die on it. I was pissed. I had just started enjoying it when she gets hit by a blasting curse and comes flying over and destroys it. Luckily I was able to save a piece and take it home with me but still...what?"_ Harry and Hermione were both 'looking' at him like he had lost his mind. **_I'm not even going to comment on that._** _"What? It was good. So, what kind of cake are you guys gonna have?"_ ** _Tom, we haven't even actually dated yet. I think it's a little early to be planning a wedding. Besides, I'm not going to force Hermione into being my wife. If she wishes to be my wife then we shall do it the proper way._** _"But you guys are already married. You have the certificate upstairs on your dresser Harry."_ ** _What certificate?_** ** _The one that some moron from the Ministry sent us at four in the fucking morning._** ** _Language Harry. Why didn't you tell me about it?_** ** _I kinda forgot._** Hermione frowned at him. _"Nice going, only one day into marriage and you have already pissed your wife off. That has to be a record. No wait, never mind. That title goes to Rodolphus. He had Bella pissed before she even made it down the aisle."_ ** _You aren't helping matters any Tom._**

Harry was brought back to issue at hand when the sound Hermione tapping her foot reached his ears. She gave him a hurt glare. **_Oh come Hermione, I didn't forget that we were married. It's just that the letter shad slipped my mind until Tom mentioned it, that's all. Sorry._** She looked at him for a minute, studying him and gauging his sincerity. She also opened the link to his mind and pilfered through his thoughts and memories for the whole morning (she could do this easily thanks to the bond, they could hide nothing from each other). She sighed and smiled him. **_No, I'm sorry. I was just afraid that you regretted what happened._** ** _Why would I regret it?_** She shrugged **_I don't know, I just figured that you wouldn't want to be married this early in life. And to someone as plain and unattractive as me._** ** _Don't ever think that. There is no one else I would rather be married to. And you aren't plain or unattractive, you are beautiful._** She blushed, smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss. **_So, what do you say Hermione? Will you marry me?_** Hermione blushed again, but her smile could have lit up the deepest pits of Tartarus. **_"Yes, yes I will._** _"And they lived happily ever after! Come on, back to business. You two can be all cute and lovey-lovey later. What are we going to do about the bond?"_ ** _What do you mean 'what are we going to do about it'?_** _"Are you gonna keep it secret? Tell everyone? Shout it from the Astronomy Tower? What?"_ ** _I think, and Hermione don't take offense at this, that we should keep it a secret. For now._** ** _Why?_** _"Better tread softly Harry."_ ** _Because,_** he gave Tom a pointed look in his head, **_If we tell people then our enemies could find out, Dumbledore could find out, and use us against each other._** _"I see your point."_ ** _I guess you're right. But why would it be bad for Dumbledore to find out?_** ** _Oh yeah, we didn't tell her that part did we?_** _"Nope."_

Harry breathed out a sigh and stood up. "Come on let's go to breakfast." he spoke aloud. Hermione closed her book and stood as well. They made their way out of the portrait hole. **_Now, we can walk and talk. You know those relatives that I live with? The ones you wanted to kill._** ** _Yeah._** ** _Well, Dumbledore was the one who put me with them. He had Hagrid take me from the ruins of my families home and bring me to him. He then left me on their doorstep with nothing but a short note saying that they had to take care of me. If that wasn't bad enough, he put a block on my magic to keep me from becoming too strong._** ** _But you perform great in class._** ** _Yes well, I actually hold back so that I'm just a bit ahead of every one else._** _"And you still kick his ass!"_ ** _Shut up Tom._** Tom snickered and Hermione smiled, she was quickly becoming used to the smart mouthed Tom and his odd ways. **_Continue._**

They descended the steps down to the ground floor and made their way to the entrance hall. **_Putting a block on someones magic is highly illegal, it carries a sentence of one hundred years in Azkaban._** ** _That's the prison right?_** ** _Yes, it is guarded by Dementors. You know what those are?_** She nodded. **_Back on topic, Dumbledore knew that Voldemort was going to go after my parents, there was a prophesy that was partially overheard by Snape, who reported what he had heard to Voldemort. The prophesy said that the person who would be able to defeat the Dark Lord would be born 'as the seventh month dies' to 'those who thrice defied him'. Now it could have been referring to either me or Neville. Dumbledore knew this but didn't do anything to protect either of our families. In the end Voldemort chose me. He came to our home in Godric's Hollow and murdered my parents. Dumbles must have had someone nearby, or placed a ward that would warn him if Voldy showed up, because as soon as it was over Hagrid shows up and takes me to him._** _"To make a long story short: Dumbdoor is a power hungry, greedy, manipulative old bastard that likes to play God. And fails miserably."_ ** _Wow, he seems like such a nice old man on the surface._**

They sat down at the table and began to eat. **_That is what he wants everyone to think. That he is a wise all-knowing, all-powerful saint who can do no wrong._** _"And all the while he is sitting back and fucking up innocent peoples lives all for the so-called 'greater good', or for his own gain or agenda. He Betrayed his best friend for this 'greater good'. The friend that he had claimed to love."_ ** _Who are you talking about?_** ** _Gellert Grindlewald._** ** _The Dark Lord before Voldemort?_** _"Ha! That was a lie made up by a jealous Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore is homosexual, he fell in love with Gellert. But Gellert did not return his feelings. Instead he fell in love with Albus' sister Ariana. When Albus learned of this he staged a confrontation with Gellert and his own brother Aberforth, knowing that Ariana would try to stop them. She ran out of their house to stop the fight and was hit by a 'stray' spell fired by Albus, though he blamed Gellert. Gellert believed what Albus said, that he had been the one to kill her. He fell into despair._

 _"He pushed Albus away, wandered in solitude for a full year. Then heard of a legend, a tale of three magical object that when brought together could make the wielder the 'master of death'. They were called the Deathly Hallows, The Elder Wand, The Cloak of Invisibility and The Resurrection Stone. It was the stone that he sought above all else, he thought that it would bring back his lost love. He found the wand, which he took from the wand maker Gregorovich. But before he could locate the two remaining Hallows he was confronted by Albus, who had proclaimed to the world that he was evil. He was defeated and locked away in the fortress of Nurmengard, a prison built by Grindlewald himself as a place to hold his captives."_ ** _If he wasn't evil, then why did he have captives?_** ** _They were people that Dumbledore sent against him after he learned that he had obtained the Elder Wand. He killed many others between the time that he found the wand and the time that he was defeated. This only added fuel to the fire and made it easier for Dumbledore to have him proclaimed a Dark Lord._** ** _How do you know all of this?_** ** _Tom._** ** _What do you mean?_** _"Well, during my time wandering, I made a stop in Nurmengard. I spoke very extensively with Gellert, who was just happy to have some company for the first time in years. He told me everything, holding back nothing."_ ** _How do you know that it was the truth?_** _"Legilimency. The art of reading minds. He let me into his mind, showing me memories to back up his story."_ ** _Wow, to think that for nearly a hundred years the entire wizarding world has gotten it wrong._** _"Indeed. Albus' deceit runs deep."_

They ate in silence, none knowing what to say next. At that moment an owl arrived carrying Hermione's copy of the Daily Prophet and she quickly immersed herself in its pages. After a few minutes she cast it aside. "Nothing good?" Harry asked aloud.

"Nope. Just a bunch of politics that have nothing to do with government." she answered.

After breakfast they headed to the library. Harry, went off to find any information he could about Nicolas Flamel and Hermione to help Hannah with some Transfiguration work that was do the next day. Whilst he was scanning titles he heard footsteps come up behind him. He turned to see who it was. "Oh, hey Ced, what's up?"

"Nothing really," Cedric answered as he stood next to Harry, also scanning titles, "just looking for some info for one of Snape's essays. You?"

"Looking for any information on Nicolas Flamel. You know anything about that?"

Cedric furrowed his brow as he wracked his brain for any relevant information pertaining to that name. "The name sounds familiar, but I can't remember where I've heard it. Sorry."

Harry sighed, "No problem." He continued looking at the books in front of him, there weren't any that even so much as mentioned the word Alchemy.

"Is he famous?"

Harry turned back to Cedric, "What?"

"Is he famous? This Flamel guy. Is he famous?"

"Uh, I think so. Hagrid said that he was one of the leading names in Alchemy."

"Then try this book." He motioned Harry over to a different section and pulled a medium sized tome off of the shelf and handed it to him. Harry read the title: 'Famous Witches and Wizards: The Chocolate Frog Collection'.

"You're kidding right?"

"No, this book is actually very informative. If your guy is famous then you'll find him."

"Thanks." Harry said.

"No problem, later Harry."

"Later Cedric."

Harry carried the book over to their table, the one that they used for the study group meetings. He opened the book and began to scroll through the table of contents. The name Nicolas Flamel was not present anywhere on the page. There were however two names that brought his mind back to the earlier conversation: Gellert Grindlewald and Albus Dumbledore. Already know all about Grindlewald he flipped to the page that featured his greatest enemy. He read the list of accomplishments off in his head. **_Defeater of the Dark Lord Grindlewald, Discovered the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and known for his extensive work with Nicolas Flamel, who is the only known maker of The Philosopher's Stone._** Harry sat dumbstruck. The Philosopher's Stone? He remembered hearing something about that while he was down in Knockturn Alley a little over a year ago. He quickly summoned up the memory and replayed it in his mind.

 **He made his way down the dark street of Knockturn Alley, He passed by Draven's shop and continued on to a small out-of-the-way bookstore called The Weathered Tome. He entered the store and moved to the section that housed the books on dark spells. As he was searching through the available selection of titles the contents of a nearby conversation reached his ears.**

 **"Look at this Geoff, if we could get our hands on one of these then we'd be rich."**

 **"A Philosopher's Stone? What the devil is that?"**

 **"Well, it says here that it is a stone that can turn any metal into gold. And it can be used to make something called the Elixir of Life. It's supposed to make the drinker immortal."**

 **"Hmm, well does it say where we can find one?"**

 **"No. The only person known to have ever created one is some Flamel guy."**

 **"Then What the hell kinda good is that supposed to do us?"**

Harry was once again sitting there dumbfounded. How had he not remembered that sooner? He had all of the information that he needed right there. Of course he had dismissed the information as useless back at that point in time so... Then it dawned on him. Voldemort was after the stone. And if Voldemort was here at Hogwarts looking for the stone then that must mean that it was in the school somewhere. _"Quirrell was yelling at Snape for not telling him about Fluffy. And Fluffy was guarding a trap door. That must be where the Stone is hidden."_ ** _This is all coming together very quickly._** _"Yeah, we should be cops."_ ** _Come on, lets go tell Hermione._**

* * *

After filling Hermione in on what they had found Harry decided that he should go and pay another visit to Hagrid. He ran across the front lawn of Hogwarts, the speed at which he was able to do so now had him grinning from ear to ear.

As he neared Hagrid's hut the front door opened to reveal Dumbledore himself. Harry came to a halt. "Headmaster? What are you doing here?" he asked as the old man made his way down the front steps.

"Ah, Harry. I was just having tea with Hagrid. Have you tried his rock-cakes? They're delectable." Dumbledore said as he eyed Harry with a twinkle in his eye.

"I'm sure they are." Harry answered the question.

"Hagrid was just telling me a most interesting story. About you having him procure some animals for you. I asked him where they were but he said that they were missing."

Harry feigned shock, "Missing! What do you mean missing?"

"He would be able to answer that better than I could. But I must ask, why did you want those animals in the first place?" Dumbledore inquired.

"That seems a rather moot detail since they are no longer around. But if you must know, I was going to be giving them to a friend of my uncle's who owns a farm." Harry lied, he had this story already made up in case of a situation like this.

"I see. And how does your uncle treat you Harry?"

Harry faked a flinch. "Not so well sir. But his friend Gerald wasn't so bad. He actually let me eat when we were at his house. His wife Shelly makes the best stew ever." Harry lied again.

"I see. So your relatives don't feed you?"

"Not very often. I get scraps every once in a while."

Harry noticed a brief flash or satisfaction mixed with triumph flash in the Headmaster's eyes. Harry now knew that he had stuck him with the Dursleys so that he would have a horrible childhood. _"Probably hoped that you would arrive weak and subdued, then he would swoop in and play the caring grandfather role in order to exert his will over you. Remember how he sent the Weasleys to 'guide' you to the platform. Talking loudly about muggles and that woman asking what the Platform number was even though she had obviously been there before."_ ** _Yup. Now to get out of this unwanted conversation._**

Dumbledore had been watching Harry with keen interest as he carried out the silent exchange with Tom, though he didn't see much as Harry kept his head down. "Well, if that is all sir, I'll be going now." With that he brushed passed the Headmaster and Knocked on Hagrid's door.

The opened and Hagrid looked down to see who else had come to see him that day. "Oh, Hello Harry. I was just comin' to look fer you."

"What for Hagrid?" Harry asked.

"Come on inside and we'll talk." he stepped back to make room for Harry to enter, then closed the door after he was in. Harry took a quick backwards glance to see Dumbledore casually making his way back to the castle and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

He sat down on one of Hagrid's large chairs at his table while Hagrid poured them both a cup of tea. "Rock-cake?" Hagrid asked, setting a large plate of them down on the table between them. Harry gingerly picked one up and weighed it on his palm. The thing had to weight at least five pounds! He gave it a nibble and promptly dropped it when he felt his tooth begin to chip. There was a resounding thud as it struck the tabletop. After blinking a few times in surprise he lifted it back up to find that it had left a small dent in the surface. Luckily Hagrid had his back to him during this and didn't see him stuff a few in his pockets. _"Hehe, we could use these as weapons! One good throw and I'll bet we can end the leech then and there."_ ** _I don't know about that but they could be good for a distraction when we don't have any available pebbles._** _"Just don't try tossing those at Hermione's window at night, I don't now if the house would survive it. Plus, we don't have insurance."_ ** _Haha, good advise. Maybe if we ever have to lay siege to a castle, these would do better than an artillery shell. Just give me a slingshot._** _"Hell, let's just build our own castle out of this stuff. I doubt that a diamond could cut through it."_

Harry ended the conversation when Hagrid turned back to him and sat down. "Well, Harry. I got some bad news for ya."

"What?" Harry asked, acting worried.

"Last night some kind of creature came in and attacked yer animals. Tore the fence to pieces and there was blood on the ground out there. I don't know what it was or how many it got but they are all gone. I recon that what it didn't get escaped into the forest. Of course that wouldn't have done 'em much good. They probably ran afoul of some other beast out in them trees. I'm sorry Harry. Ye trusted me with them animals and I let you down." Hagrid looked terribly distraught so Harry did his best to ease his guilt.

"It wasn't your fault Hagrid. Last night was a full moon, for all we know it could have been a werewolf. Really, it could have been anything. And as strong as you are Hagrid, I would rather it be the animals than you."

Hagrid nodded and wiped a tear from his eye. "Thanks Harry."

Harry smiled, "Don't mention it Hagrid. What are friends for?"

 **XXXXTime Skip.**

The end of the year was drawing near and Quirrelldemort still had yet to make his move. Harry had been keeping watch on the door leading to Fluffy's chamber every night for the past three and a half months or so, just waiting for the parasite to make an appearance. On this night Hermione was standing beneath the cloak with him as he watched the entrance.

Tonight, they got lucky. **_So, he finally shows his face._** ** _And what an ugly face it_** ** _is. "_** _A face not even a mother could love."_ There, coming down the corridor was the unmistakeable figure of Professor Quirrell, the turban was a dead give away. He opened the door to the chamber and stepped in. He drew his wand and cast a quick muttered spell on the harp that sat in the room. Harry and Hermione followed him in, still under the cloak. **_Why is there a harp in here in the first place?_** _"Bumbles is making things easy."_ ** _Bastard._** ** _Hermione, language._** ** _It's English Harry._** ** _Okay, I'm not letting you talk to Tom anymore. You're picking up some of his habits._** _"Hey! What's wrong with that?"_

Harry ignored him and followed Quirrell as he opened the trap door and jumped in. Harry hesitated a moment as a bright flash appeared in the hole. He peered over the edge to find a large growth of Devil's Snare. With a gaping hole burned through it. Shrugging he jumped down into the hole, landing gracefully on the stone floor below. A moment later Hermione was standing next to him. **_Those rituals really came in handy huh?_** ** _Yep._** They recovered themselves with the cloak before moving on.

They entered the next room to find Quirrell flying around the room on a broom, desperately trying to catch an old silver key while the others attacked him like birds dive bombing their prey. Harry let out a chuckle as the man nearly fell from his broom. They stood near the door to the next area, waiting patiently for their teacher to catch the key that would allow them to move on. Three minutes and fifteen near-death experiences later Quirrell had caught the key and landed, hurrying over and flinging the door open. Harry and Hermione jumped through just in time as Quirrell slammed the door closed.

He was panting heavily as he turned to face the next obstacle. There, standing at least seventeen feet tall was another mountain troll. If Harry hadn't killed the thing himself he would have sworn that it was the same one that had tried to kill Hermione. Hermione apparently noticed the similarity as well because she stepped closer and slightly behind Harry, seeking the comfort and safety that only he could provide her.

They watched as Quirrell quickly defeated the troll by levitating its club and dropping it on its head, rendering it unconscious. _"Well that was completely unimaginative. A Weasley could have done that. This guy has no style."_ ** _We can't all be masters of theatrics and dramatics like you and Harry, Tom._** _"Too true."_

The next chamber contained a giant chess board. Quirrell seemed to be whimpering. _"I guess he isn't good at chess. Checkers is probably more suited for his mental capacity."_

As it turned out Quirrell wasn't good at chess, but Voldemort was and he soon had the black king in checkmate. When Harry asked Tom about this all he said was _"How do you think I got so good at kicking my own ass?"_

The next room was when they met their first real obstacle. As soon as they entered a wall of purple flames sprung up behind them while a similar wall of black flames blocked there path forward. They watched silently as Quirrell easily solved the riddle for which potion on the small table next to the wall would allow him to go forward. They heard him mutter something about Snape at least being truthful about something. They did not see which bottle he drank from. Once he was through the flames they both threw off the cloak and ran over to the table and Hermione picked up the piece of parchment that sat on the table next to seven bottles, all different shapes and sizes. And they were all full. **_But, didn't he just drink one?_** ** _Yes._** ** _Then how come they are all full again?_** Hermione bit her lip as she thought over this. **_The only thing I can come up with is that the bottles are enchanted to refill themselves._** Harry gestured to the parchment in her hand. **_What does that say?_** She began to read it to herself, while Harry and Tom listened through the mind-link.

 _'Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

 _Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

 _One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

 _Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

 _Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

 _Three among us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

 _Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

 _To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

 _First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

 _You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

 _Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

 _But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;_

 _Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

 _Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

 _Fourth, the second left and the second right_

 _Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.'_

 ** _Well, that shouldn't be too hard, after all, it's logic. We have more than plenty of that between the three of us._** ** _Exactly._** Tom chuckled in their heads. **_What?_** _"Oh, I was just thinking about how long a normal wizard or even some of the more brilliant one would be stuck in here trying to come up with the answer to this. They would probably never leave."_ Hermione giggled while Harry gave an amused smile. **_He's right you know, most wizards don't have an ounce of logic. They just expect their magic to get them out of every situation._** ** _Well then, it's a good thing that we all learned early on that magic isn't always as reliable as it is thought to be. Now let me see that._**

Harry took the parchment from her hand and studied the bottles, using the clues as a guideline in a process of elimination. After a few moments of quiet concentration he smiled, **_I've got it._** He stepped back up to the table and lifted two of the bottles from the line. **_This one,_** he held up a small bottle with barely a swallow of liquid within, **_Will take us forward. And this one,_** he held up a round bottle, **_will take us back. I'll go ahead first. IF your theory about them refilling is true then you can follow right behind me. If not, drink this and go back._** ** _But what if I can't get through and you get hurt?_** ** _I'll be fine._** ** _But you said yourself that the Horcrux nearly killed you last time. That was just a soul piece. We are talking about a grown man AND a soul piece this time._** ** _I still have Tom with me. If I'm rendered unconscious then he can take over._** _"Yeah, I'll take care of him."_ ** _But-_** ** _No, no 'buts' Hermione. This has to be done. Trust me, I'll be fine._**

Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him. He brought his own arms up and returned her embrace. "Be careful," she whispered to him.

"I promise." he returned, kissing her hair. Then he broke the embrace and downed the contents of the bottle in his hand. He returned the bottle to its place in line and turned and passed through the flames without a backward glance. He knew that if he looked back he would not want to go. He realized that he didn't have his cloak, which meant that he lacked the element of surprise. With a determined look in his eye he continued on down the corridor a bit until he came to a descending staircase.

There was a sound like a gust of wind and he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see Hermione walking toward him with his cloak in her hand. ** _Looks like we don't have to worry about fighting alone._** ** _Thank goodness for that. So, what's the plan? Do you have one?_** ** _Actually yes, I do. I'll go down there and confront him, while you wear the cloak and watch my back._** Hermione crossed her arms and frowned at him. **_If you think that I'm going to sit back while you do all of the fighting, then you've got another thing coming._** Harry let out an exasperated breath. **_Fine, but you are still wearing the cloak. Wait for my signal before you start casting any spells._** ** _What is the signal._** _"Basically it is whenever Harry pisses him off enough for him to start trying to kill us."_ Harry smiled grimly at Tom's words. **_Yeah, pretty much. Trust me, you'll know._**

Hermione donned the cloak and followed a few steps behind Harry as he made his way down the stairs. They entered into a great open chamber, the edges surrounded by pillars, the center sunken down like a shallow pit or an 'arena'. In the center of the room stood a large mirror, before the mirror stood Quirrell. His reflection revealed an agitated expression on his face.

"Having trouble?" harry asked in a loud voice intended to startle. It had the desired effect. Quirrell jumped and spun around quickly, his wand raised and a curse on his lips. Harry held up his empty hands to show that he was unarmed. "Whoa, calm down."

"Potter. What are you doing here?" Quirrell spat his name like it was a curse.

"Oh, I'm just out for a leisurely nighttime stroll, how about you?" Harry said with a mocking smirk. He was now in what Tom called 'Sadist Mode'. It was the mindset that he used when torturing his relatives. Quirrell snarled. "Temper, temper. I only made an innocent inquiry, no need to get your knickers in a knot."

"Silence!" Quirrell snapped his fingers and ropes appeared out of thin air to wrap tightly around Harry's body, pinning his arms to his sides. Harry resisted a smirk at this, as if he needed his arms free to kill this prick. But then again the bastard didn't know that; and Harry intended to keep it a secret as long as he could. "I have come too far to stop now, just because some meddling kid tried to be a hero." He turned back to the mirror. "Now, what does this mirror do?" Harry shrugged, he had no idea. This was the first time he had ever seen the thing. "I see what I desire, I see myself with the Stone. But how do I get?" He was getting even more frustrated.

"Use the boy." Spoke a muffled hiss-like voice.

Quirrell snapped his fingers and the ropes binding Harry vanished. "Come here Potter." Harry played along and came to stand beside his evil professor. "What do you see?"

Harry looked at the mirror, studying his reflection. He noticed nothing out of the ordinary until his reflection began to move without him. It reached into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone, winked at him and returned it to his pocket. At the same moment that the stone was returned to his refection's pocket Harry felt something fall into his own pocket. He resisted the urge to look down at it. He reached into his other pocket to grab his Holly wand when his hand brushed something else. He grabbed it and felt it, trying to determine what it was. It felt almost like a piece of brick. Then it came to him. One of Hagrid's rock-cakes. He always kept one with him, just in case he needed it, for anything. This time he did smirk.

"What do you see!" Quirrell demanded, his voice containing barely controlled rage.

"Well, I see you...bleeding on the floor without your head. Such a beautiful sight. Makes me hungry." Harry snickered.

Quirrell growled and struck Harry's face with the back of his hand. Harry fought to keep his anger under control as he spit some blood out of his mouth. It was all he could do not to tear the man apart. "No more lies, tell me the truth. WHAT DO YOU SEE?"

"Fine, I see the same thing you do. You say you see yourself with the stone, but you can't get it, right?" Quirrell nodded. "Hmm, well," he smiled a happy grin, though his eyes were wild. "Maybe this will help!" He pulled his arm back and threw the rock-cake at the mirror. There was a loud crash as the glass shattered and their reflections crumbled. Harry gave a whoop of joy as he watched, it was a sharp contrast to the look of horror on Quirrell's face.

Quirrell turned to Harry with murder in his eyes. Harry snickered again, "Oops. Did I ruin your plans? Guess old Voldy won't be too pleased with that. Then again, I can't bring myself to care, really." With a howl of rage Quirrell launched himself at Harry, his hands poised to break his neck. At the same time as he attacked a jet of light came flying out from behind one of the pillars to strike the spot that he had just been standing. Harry threw himself backwards as he felt Quirrell's hands close around his throat.

He gasped for breath, trying to pry at the vise-like grip. He gave up on that approach and placed his hands on Quirrell's chest in what appeared to be an attempt to push him off. Instead he pumped as much magic as he could into his hands before releasing it all with the intent of blasting his adversary away from him. Quirrell let out a surprised yelp as he was thrown across the room to land in a heap amongst the remains of the mirror. He groaned as he lay there.

Harry pushed himself to his feet and rubbed his neck. He slowly stalked toward his fallen foe, taking his time, approaching cautiously. "Tut tut, that was uncalled for. Did you know that attempting to kill a child is a serious offense? Funny huh? You get more prison time here in the wizarding world for _trying_ to kill someone than if you actually killed them. The way I see it, if I kill you, no one will give a damn. So guess what. You're dead."

He stood over the groaning man, pieces of broken glass sticking out of him at places, cuts littering his skin. His wand lay broken under his arm. "But first, let's see what you try so hard to hide shall we?" He began to unwrap the turban. He pulled the last bit off to reveal another head sticking out the back of the other man's. _"Wow, it's even more disgusting then I thought."_ ** _You got that right._**

"Hello Harry, we meet at long last." the face of Voldemort said.

"Hello Voldemort."

"You see what has become of me? A mere shadow of what I was. Only able to take physical form when I can share another's body. There have always been those who would let me into their hearts, their heads." Harry snorted at this, it was true in more than one way. "But, with the Elixir of Life I can create a body of my own. But to do that I need the stone. Help me Harry."

Harry pretended to consider it. "Hmm...Nah. No thanks. I'm fine with things the way they are."

"Ha! Bravery, your parents had that too. Would you like me to tell you how they died?" Voldemort asked with a cruel smile.

Harry smirked, "No thanks, I know the story. It got boring after a while. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents, even though I didn't get to know them, but I don't need to hear your exaggerated version. It's kinda like when some young director tries to redo a classic film, and proceeds to fuck it up." Voldemort was not expecting this, and the shock showed clearly on his face. Harry let out a distressed sigh. "Killing you in this condition would be no fun." He drew his wand and waved it over Quirrell's body. The glass that had punctured the skin pulled itself out and his cuts began to heal. "Stand up and fight. If you are man enough that is."

Harry backed away to give Quirrell room to stand. He let his wand dangle loosely from his fingertips. As the man regained his feet he returned it to his pocket, after all, Quirrell did not have a wand anymore.

"Harry, there is no need for you to die needlessly. Join me. Together we could rule the world. If you join me, I'll even let you keep your little mudblood whore. What do you say?"

Harry clenched his fist, his insides burning with white-hot fury. "I say, that you just dug your own grave." Voldemort began to laugh.

"Stupid boy, do you really think that you can kill me?" Quirrell began to laugh along with his master.

"Why don't you come over here and we'll find out."

Quirrell's smile vanished and he began to look around for his wand. His eyes settled on the broken pieces. Harry swore that he saw his lip tremble at the sight. "What? Can't fight without a wand? Here, take mine." He tossed his Holly wand at the man's feet. Quirrell picked it up and grinned evilly at Harry, thinking that he was in for an easy kill.

"Time to die Potter."

Harry only smiled. Suddenly the ground at Quirrell's feet exploded, knocking him off his feet and sending debris in all directions. Harry caught a brief glimpse of Hermione pulling her hand back under the cloak as he dashed forward and scooped up the fallen wand.

"Riddle me this Voldy: What is weak, pathetic and cold? Has no legs yet shares another's? And Is now breathing its dieing breath? You don't know? You give up? Well, I 'll tell you." He leaned down next to the man and lowered his head until his mouth was next to Quirrell's ear. "You." he whispered.

Harry put both hands on either side of the bald man's head and began to squeeze, putting all of his strength into it, which was now quite a lot thanks to the rituals. Quirrell's scream was cut short when his skull began to crack. Harry then twisted hard, snapping his neck. When it did Quirrell's entire body suddenly dissolved into dust. **_What the hell just happened?_** _"I have no idea."_

Their discussion was cut short when a shadow-like substance rose from the dust and charged at him. Harry felt cold, like he was laying on a bed of ice. He was falling, but he couldn't catch himself. Slowly his eyes slid shut as the feeling left him. The last thing he heard was Hermione calling his name.

* * *

A week later Harry was packing his belongings into his trunk. He had just returned from the Hospital Wing, where he had been paid a visit by the 'benevolent' headmaster. There really hadn't been anything useful or important for him to say. He expressed his 'gratitude' for Harry having ousted Voldemort from the school. And he told Harry some story about why Quirrell had turned to dust. Something about Harry having so much love in him that it was able to destroy him when he touched him. Harry decided to let him believe that he believed him. Sure, he had love in him, but he didn't think it was enough to do that.

Having finished packing he picked up his trunk and headed down to the entrance hall. He had missed the farewell feast but Hermione had told him that Ravenclaw had won because Dumbledore gave them a bunch of last minute points. They both figured that it was a way for him to try and get in Harry's good graces. He didn't realize that neither Harry nor Hermione gave a fuck about the house cup.

He entered the entrance hall and quickly found Hermione standing with Cedric, Neville, Susan and Hannah. They all greeted him warmly, expressing how glad they were that he was finally out of the hospital wing. They all found an empty carriage and settled in for the ride to Hogsmead Station.

Harry was locked in a rather heated discussion with Neville about some of the rumors that were flying around about why he was injured. The most outrageous was one saying that he jousted a werewolf while riding on a Chimaera. Tom got a kick out of that one. Seriously, who would come up with that? But one was too close to the mark for Harry's liking. It was pretty much correct except that it claimed he had gone alone and that he had killed Voldemort just by touching him. He denied this vehemently, claiming that he had merely been injured by accident when he and Hermione were practicing a new spell. The conversation ended when Cedric took Harry's side saying that Harry's story was far more likely than anything that was circulating through the rumor mill at Hogwarts.

The train ride back to London was uneventful and they arrived at Platform 9¾ without any problem. Harry accompanied Hermione through the barrier separating the wizarding platform from the muggle one. Hermione insisted that Harry at least talk to her parents before he left.

So here he was standing off to the side with Hermione and her parents.

"Hello Harry. How have you been?" Sarah Granger, Hermione's mother, asked him.

"I've been fine Sarah. How have you and William been?" They had insisted that he call them by their names when he had met them on Christmas. Harry had no problem doing so.

"Just fine. Thank you for asking." she gave him a smile.

"Are we going to be seeing you over the summer Harry?" Will asked him.

"Probably not, Me and my relatives are going to Germany for the summer." Harry told them, it was only a half lie. "We are gonna travel around for a while and then we are going to the Wacken Festival. Saxon is gonna be there this year. I would ask if Hermione could come with us but my uncle wanted it to be a family thing."

Will nodded understandingly, he listened to pretty much the same music Harry did so he knew what he was talking about; and he could understand wanting to spend some time with just family, especially after a long school year. They traded goodbyes, Hermione giving Harry a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and headed there separate ways. Harry immediately apparated to Privet Drive and headed to his room without saying a word to his relatives. He had work to do, and only a few months to do it in.

* * *

 **A/N: Year One END. I hope I wasn't too cliché with the Harry/Hermione interactions, let me know if I was and how to avoid it happening in the future. I really don't want to be cliché. This was a hard chapter to write, I had a hard time with the Harry Vs. Voldemort/Quirrell confrontation.**

 **As always, let me know what you think. No Flames.**

 **Until next time.**

 **-Atrocity.**


	12. The Wolf is Loose

12: The Wolf is Loose

 **D**

isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable.

A/N: A huge thank you to Paladeus ,though you will find that I made a few changes.

 **WARNING!** : This chapter features the return of Sadist!/Evil!Harry. It gets pretty brutal so consider yourself warned.

Let's just hope that the brutality wasn't too much.

Oh, and there is a line that Harry uses in this chapter that is taken from the movie Merlin. I don't own that either.

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

* * *

 **I Am Atrocity.**

 **Chapter XII: The Wolf is Loose**

 **'What's your name? Who do you love? I want to hate you, kill you, treat you like I've had enough. '**

 **Simple Survival by Mushroomhead.**

Harry stuffed the last of his supplies into his messenger bag. He slung the strap over his shoulder and flipped the power switch on his stereo, cutting off King Diamond's 'Abigail' at about halfway through. As he was making his way across his room to the door the light reflected off of a red surface, catching his eye.

There, on his bedside table, sat the Philosopher's Stone in all of its blood-like glory. He approached and picked it up. He wondered how such a small thing as power could drive men to commit such atrocities in order to create items such as this. Sure, he himself sought power, but he liked to think that he wasn't so hungry for it that he would forsake his humanity for it. But he had other things to worry about at the moment. At least he didn't have to worry about Dumbledore going out and looking for the Stone now, he had told him that he was able to get it before Voldemort but that it was destroyed during the fight. The bastard had tried to use Legilimency on him but Harry had fed him a false memory of the Stone shattering to dust when it was hit by a stray spell. Then Quirrell had turned to dust as well, his mixing with the now useless stone. He could tell that he wasn't too happy about that turn of events.

Though all of the powers the Stone possessed were a mystery there had always been legends about it. The ones in the muggle world were more than likely true as all of the information that the Wizarding World had was provided by Nicolas Flamel and Albus Dumbledore, as was mentioned in a book that Hermione had checked out of the library for some 'light reading'.

 _"What do we do with it?"_

 _I don't know. I can see no immediate use for it, at least not yet. After all, we don't know how to use it._

 _"Then I suggest we hold on to it. I could be useful later on."_

 ** _Yeah._** He opened one of the drawers on his dresser, dug around under the clothing within until his hand came into contact with cold stone. He lifted the object from the drawer and set it carefully on top of the dresser. I was a stone box, its lid bore many runes that had been carved by Harry himself. He drew the pocket knife that he kept on his table and cut a line down his palm, he then placed his open, bleeding palm down on the lid of the box.

The runes flashed as his blood was absorbed and the wards unlocked. He opened it to reveal that it was currently empty. Though on the outside the box appeared to only be about two or so inches deep, Harry had charmed it to adjust to fit whatever he placed within it. He carefully lay the stone within and closed the lid. The runes flashed again, signifying that the wards had been re-locked.

After returning the box to its hiding place he exited the room. Entering the kitchen his eyes found his aunt washing the dishes from that morning's breakfast. "Good day." he said.

She jumped slightly at the sudden noise. "Oh, good day Harry."

Harry nodded in acknowledgment of her greeting. "I was just stopping in to let you know that I'm going to be doing some traveling, but I'll be coming back often so don't get any ideas. That could be very painful for you. Understand?" Petunia nodded vigorously. "Good."

Harry removed his glasses and put them in a side pocket on his bag. He walked out of the kitchen but stopped just outside the door. "Oh and another thing," Petunia looked up, " _Crucio!"_

* * *

Harry apparated to the outskirts of Little Hangleton and began his trek to the remains of Gaunt Cottage. **_So, let's go over this again. Exactly what are we going to be up against?_** Harry usually just asked Tom for the answers if it pertained to something from his memory, it was a lot quicker than going through the memories themselves.

 _"Well, about fifty yards from the cottage is an early warning alarm ward. At twenty yards is another. At fifteen feet is the third, and there is also one on the doorway itself."_

 _And exactly what is it a warning for?_

 _"That would be the Hellhound."_

 _Great! Thank you for adding another item to the list of ways that we can die on this venture._

 _"Always happy to help."_

Harry reached the top of a large hill and gazed out at the sight before him. For miles around lay large open plains. Untouched by man. And beyond that was an expansive forest. It was a beautiful sight to behold. The only black spot on this picturesque scene was the dilapidated old house that lay in the field before him. Gaunt Cottage, _"The first ward is just in front of you, can you sense it?"_

Harry focused on the air around him and sent out a wave of surveillance magic. The results came back revealing a ward two feet in front of his face. **_Is there any way to disable it?_**

 _"No, any attempt to do so will set it off."_

 ** _Damn._** Harry started walking again, making for the run down structure. As he neared the cottage he removed his bag from his shoulder and laid it on the ground, he then drew both of his wands and blasted the door off of its hinges. Dust filled the air and Harry held his breath to avoid coughing or sneezing. The dust settled and revealed an empty room. **_What are the chances of that hound not being here? Like what are the chances it left?_**

 _"Not very high."_

There was a flash of movement and Harry found himself on his back with his shoulders pinned by two large black paws. He stared up into the bright, glowing yellow eyes of the beast. It growled and stared down at him, Harry felt like it was looking into his very soul. Then an unexpected event occurred, it whimpered. Before Harry could realize what was happening the hound had stepped back and was now standing looking at him, its posture submissive.

Harry took this time to get a good look at the beast. It stood roughly five and a half feet in height, was about ten feet from snout to tail and resembled a large black wolf. Harry holstered his Holly wand and cautiously moved towards it. It bowed its head as he stretched out a hand to touch it. **_Tom, what is going on?_**

 _"I don't know, this is most unexpected...Wait! I've got it. Hellhounds are just that, a hound of hell. Their origins are on the other side of the veil. It is a supernatural creature and as such can see magic in its purest forms. They can see a persons soul, which is why they are sometimes used to drag souls to hell. If there is a soul that has escaped from the other side into our realm the gods send them to retrieve it. When I placed this one here it was but a pup. It must have recognized my soul merged with yours. It remembers me."_

 _Interesting. How did you get...er, it?_

 _"Her, harry. She's a her. I found her actually. In Ireland. It was on the Winter Solstice, she must have wandered through the veil and gotten trapped in our world."_

 _That would make sense. Did you ever name her?_

 _"No. I never saw a reason to."_

"Hmm," Harry began to gently scratch the hound behind her ears. "Then, we'll have to give her a name then won't we?" He holstered his Ebony wand and used the free hand to summon his bag. He reached inside the main pocket and withdrew a paper bag. He then reached into that bag and pulled out a bit of chicken that he had brought for lunch. He held the meat up to the Hounds mouth and waited for her to take it. She stiffed at it for a moment before making a motion that resembled a shrug and devouring it. While she ate, Harry was wracking his brain for a good name for the wolf-like creature. "How about...Amorak?"

The hound looked up at him, her eyes clearly saying 'what the hell does that mean?'. Harry chuckled. "I read it in a book once. Amorak is the name of a giant wolf in Inuit mythology. It is said to hunt down and eat anyone foolish enough to hunt alone at night. It was greatly fear and respected. Though it never said if it was male or female so I'm guessing that its universal." The beast studies him for a moment before finally nodding her head. "Amorak it is then."

 _"Harry?"_

 _Yes Tom?_

 _"Well, since you are naming it and feeding it and it likes us and it's cute, can we..um.."_

 _What Tom?_

 _'...uh..can we...uh..."_

 _Spit it out already Tom!_

 _"Harry, CAN WE KEEP HER? PLEASE?"_

 _I was planning on that anyway Tom._

 _"Oh, hehe. I thought I was gonna have to annoy you for hours to get you to let us keep her."_

Harry turned his attention back to Amorak only to find her with her head in his bag. "Hey! No, don't do that!" She lifted her head and gave him a glare, growling quietly. Harry held up his hands. "Okay okay, just don't hurt the bag." **_Gods, what happened to the submissiveness?_**

 _"Well, she is bigger than you."_

Harry was snapped back to reality when Amorak nudged him with her head. He raised an eyebrow at her; she responded by gesturing to his feet with her head. He looked down at his feet to find a wrapped sandwich laying on his left shoe. He picked it up and glanced at her. He shrugged and made to return the sandwich to his bag, but stopped short when Amorak growled again. She gestured to the sandwich in his hand and snapped her jaws. Inside his head Tom was laughing. _"She wants you to eat it."_

 _What? Why? I'm not hungry!_

 _"I don't think she cares."_

 _What is going on Tom?_

Tom got his laughter under control. _"She is treating you like a pup. She has pretty much claimed you as hers."_

 _What!_

 _"She-wolves are very protective of their young, and she has effectively claimed you as her pup. Because she is from the spirit world she could now be considered your guardian spirit."_

 _What does that mean?_

 _"It means: Don't worry about it right now and eat the damned sandwich and like it."_

Harry sighed and began to unwrap the sandwich. He took a bite out of it, chewed and swallowed, all under the watchful eye of Amorak. He repeated this process until the last of his 'meal' was gone. Amorak gave an approving nod. Harry let out a relieved breath and glared at the smug looking hound.. "Stay." he told her as he walked passed her and into the cottage without waiting for her agree.

He entered the main room and immediately felt the presence of the Horcrux. He released a wave of magic and followed the 'signal' to a table in the center of the room. In the middle of the table sat a gold ring with a black stone fixed to it. _"Don't touch it yet. It still has the withering curse on it."_

 ** _Right._** Harry focused on the ring and first sent a diagnostic wave at it so he would be able to recognize whether or not he had removed the curse, he then sent a concentrated blast of magic at it intended to disarm any curses placed on it. After checking it again he reached out and picked it up. He turned it over slowly in his hands, studying every detail of it. When he had checked it the second time the results had come back showing two enchantments still on the ring. The first he recognized as the Horcrux, but the second was not something he recognized. It apparently wasn't malevolent as he wasn't dead or in pain yet.

Deciding to study it further at a later time he slipped carefully into his pocket. He exited the cottage and waved his hand, the door flew back to its proper place, its hinges reattaching themselves. He slung his bag back over his shoulder and began to walk back the way he had come. A bark from Amorak brought him to a halt.

He spun to find her right behind him. She pressed her nose to his chest. Harry felt a cold tingling sensation travel through his body. **_What was that?_**

 _"I think she just initiated a type of bond with us. I can sense her now. That's the thing about Hellhounds, they are invisible to all but those that they wish to see them, hear them or sense them."_

 _Wow._

 _"Wow, indeed. This could come in handy later."_

Harry smiled and patted Amorak on the head before resuming his journey back to the crest of the hill where the first ward was placed. Along with the early warning system there was an Anti-Apparation ward as well. When stood at the Top he crossed to outside of the ward's effects and apparated back to Privet Drive.

When he arrived he found Amorak waiting for him in the front lawn. He cocked his head to the side. "How did you get here before me?" _"She can see magic remember? Apparently she saw our destination and went on ahead of us."_

 _Oh, that could be very helpful. If she goes ahead every time then she could take care of any immediate threats that could be waiting for us._

Harry opened the front door and headed to his room, casting a glance into the kitchen, Petunia was still unconscious on the floor where he had left her. He wasn't worried about her, he had subjected her to worse. Like the time he had forced her to jump from the top of the stairs and then walk the whole day on a broken leg and a twisted ankle. Of course he fixed her up that night but that was beside the point. She had learned her lesson about inviting the neighbors over without asking him about it first. It was his house after all.

He tossed his bag onto his bed before walking over to his desk and pulling out a piece of muggle paper and a pen. He looked over his shoulder at Amorak who was now lounging at the foot of his bed. "Make yourself at home." He told her unnecessarily.

He uncapped the pen and began to scribble a quick note to Hermione. Once done he read over it again, checking for mistakes, or anything that he didn't want others to know in case it was intercepted.

 _Dearest Hermione,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well. On the morrow I am departing for the continent and will be unable to communicate very often. Have a great summer and don't forget to continue working on your 'shields'. When I return I will let you know, we can go to Diagon Alley to get our supplies together then._

 _Yours truly,_

 _Harry._

He nodded and folded the letter up and stuffed it into a muggle envelope and addressed it properly. He tied the letter to Hedwig's leg and she took flight out of the magic window he had created for her last year.

 **XXXX EVIL!/SADISTIC!HARRY AHEAD!**

Harry turned his stereo on and his room was quickly filled with King Diamond's 'Abigail' once again. He withdrew the ring from his jeans pocket and turned it over in his fingers. There was something about this object, other that the fact that it was a Horcrux, he just didn't know what it was. What he did know was that it was too dangerous to leave laying around, he needed to hide it. He retrieved his rune covered box and opened it again. With a quick wave of his hand the interior split into two separate sections. He placed the ring on the side that did not hold the Philosopher's Stone. He didn't know the powers that the Stone held and was taking absolutely no chances with it.

He intended to discover what secrets it held, and to do that he would have to pay a visit to Mr. Flamel and his wife down in Devon. So he headed back out of the door, Amorak following silently behind him, and across the street, passed the wards. He had taken a pair of dark sunglasses with him as he had to go to Diagon Alley and couldn't risk anyone noticing him or his shifting eye colors as he conversed with Tom.

He apparated to Diagon Alley and made his way to the Leaky Cauldron. He asked Tom the barman if he could use the floo. He had to pay two galleons but that wasn't any bother to him. He scanned the Public Floo Directory provided and flooed to The Prancing Cockatrice, a wizarding pub like the Leaky Cauldron in Ottery St. Carroll in the Southwest region of East Devon, the known location of the Flamels home.

He asked around the pub and was soon on his way. A man in the pub had told him that the Flamels lived just outside of town in the big white house surrounded by a stone wall, Harry thanked him and promptly erased the memory of their meeting from everyone's minds. There was no road leading to the house so Harry was now hiking across some fields in search of it.

It wasn't very long before he came in contact with a disillusioning ward. He smirked at the simplicity and walked through it. There, standing before him was a great white four-story house. Around it was a stone wall that stood at about twenty feet high. In the center of the front wall was a double-door gate.

Harry checked the gate and wall for any other incantations. He found none. **_They must be very arrogant to think that this will keep anyone out._**

 _"Remember that the only person that they socialize with is Dumbledore. What reason would they have to hide? No one else knows their secrets."_

 _Except us._

 _"We are going on a muggle legend only. We have no proof that it is true"_

 _Your point?_

Tom was silent. Without hesitation Harry drew his wand and blasted the gate to pieces. Debris rained down around him as he entered the grounds. As he was making his way through the front lawn the door was thrown open and the red light of a stunner came flying at him. He batted it aside and continued his approach. Whoever was standing just inside the doorway continued to throw spells at him, the spells becoming steadily more lethal the closer he got. He blocked every spell easily until the unmistakable green of the killing curse hurtled toward him.

He dove to the side to avoid it. He raised his wand to retaliate but he found himself with no target. A loud growl sounded from within the house followed by a woman's scream.

He jumped to his feet and sprinted toward the sound. His inhuman speed carried him there in a matter of seconds. He found the source of the scream in the antechamber. Amorak had a man, he looked to be in his fifties, pinned to the ground with her jaws hovering over his neck. There was a woman of about the same age standing with her back up against the wall. She had tears in her eyes as she glared at the Hellhound. " _Aw, the puppy found a chew toy!"_

 _Well that 'chew toy' is our target._

 _"Oh yeah."_

"Amorak. Stand down." She stepped back from the man and growled as he regained his feet. He reached for his wand but it flew out of his reach. "Ah, ah, ah. You won't be needing that." He flicked his own wand and the man's and woman's both flew into his outstretched palm. "Shall we adjourn to a more comfortable setting?" It may have been a question but it carried the weight of an order. The man and woman both glared daggers at him.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! GET OUT OF OUR HOUSE!" the man yelled at Harry.

"No, I don't think I will." Harry said in a mocking dismissive way.

"Why you little-" his sentence was cut off as he was knocked off of his feet and thrown against the wall behind him.

"You should learn to respect your superiors, scum."

"What? Like yourself?" the woman sneered sarcastically.

Harry ignored her tone. "Yes, like me. Now shut up and don't speak unless I tell you to."

"HOW DARE YOU!"

Harry held his hand up and made a closing motion with it. The woman's own hands flew to her neck as her throat began to close. "What part of 'shut up' didn't you get? You'd think that after six hundred years of life you would learn to do as you're told. I'm in charge here. Not you. Understand?" She nodded. "Good." He didn't release her, instead he turned his head to the man who was still sitting slumped against the wall. He was still conscious though. "That goes for you as well Flamel. If you don't want me to pop your wife's pretty little head you had better do as I say. Got it?" The man nodded as well. "Good." He lowered his hand and the woman fell to the floor gasping and coughing. **_Guess your Star Wars obsession was good for something after all._**

 _"I told you. Darth Vader rules."_

 _I'll have to agree._

 _"Yes, yes, the force is strong with you my young padawan."_

* * *

Without waiting for them to recover Harry grabbed Perenelle by her hair and drug her kicking and screaming down the hall, Amorak followed pulling Nicolas by the collar of his shirt. He kicked open every door he passed until he found a study. He entered and threw Perenelle on the floor in the center of the room. He told Amorak to hold Mr. Flamel while he interrogated Mrs. Flamel.

He grabbed the woman by her jaw and turned her face toward him. He looked into her eyes and whispered " _Legilimens_." He entered her mind and viciously tore apart her Occlumency shields, which were weaker than Hermione's newly created ones. He picked apart her memories until he found what he was searching for.

He released the spell and left the room. Walked up a flight of stairs and then another. Following the path he had seen in her mind he came to a bedroom. He opened the door and walked in. He found what he sought on a table on the right side of the bed. He picked up the diary and opened it. The information he wanted was on a page marked as 'Autumn, December 21, 1381'. It described in graphic detail the ritual used to create the Philosopher's Stone. _"So, the legend was true."_

 _Yes, it's sickening._

 _"I've done terrible things but...never anything that horrible."_

 _Well, their punishment has been a long time coming._

 _"HAHAHA! Yessss. Finally, we get to have some fun."_

 _Yes we shall, yes we shall._

He closed the book with a snap and made his way back to the study. Mrs. Flamel sat where he had left her with her face in her hands. Harry ignored her and sat down behind the desk at the back of the room, laid the Flamels wands on the desk's surface along with the diary and propped his feet up. "You know, I'm a little disappointed. You two are the oldest living magic users in the world, minus a few vampires perhaps, and neither of you know wandless magic, or silent casting. On top of that you don't even know how to properly ward a house, and your Occlumency skills are absolutely dreadful. Do you realize how easy it was to get in here?" No one spoke. "But, I don't care about that. What I do care about is this: I want to know everything there is to know about the Philosopher's Stone. Now, you can open up willingly or I can get violent. Your choice."

"Go to hell!" Nicolas spat at him, "We'll not be bullied into helping you with your petty goals."

Harry inhaled and exhaled in exasperation. "Fine, have it your way. Amorak, I don't really think think that Mrs. Flamel has any more use for her legs so," he gestured at the woman now pleading at him not to hurt her. "If you don't start talking then I your wife won't ever be able to walk again."

Nicolas closed his eyes but didn't say a word. "Very well. Perenelle, say goodbye to your legs. Despicable really. Over six hundred years of marriage and you apparently don't mean enough to him for him to keep you from harm." She screamed and cried for mercy as Amorak's teeth dug into the soft flesh of her leg.

"Nicolas, please! Tell him! TELL HIM! DAMNIT! IF YOU WON'T THEN I WILL!"

"Amorak, heel." The hound stopped tearing at the woman. Harry looked at her. "Yes, Mrs. Flamel?"

"It-it's not just able to create the Elixir, or turn metal to gold. There are other uses as well." She forced out between sobs.

"Go on."

"There is a ritual, if you use the Stone along with the Resurrection Stone you can bring someone back from the dead."

"How? Resurrection is impossible."

"No it it's not. Just very hard. On top of having those items you need a piece of the person that you wish to bring back, in order to create a new body." she stopped for a breath, "But a human sacrifice is required, a life for a life. Hades doesn't like giving something for nothing."

Harry nodded, "Anything else?"

Mr. Flamel chose this moment to interrupt. "Don't you dare tell him Perenelle. We promised Albus that we wouldn't reveal these secrets to anyone!"

"BE SILENT! Your wife is doing as she is told, you on the other hand have disobeyed me. I do not take kindly to this, and know that there will be consequences. Continue please." he said this last part to the woman on the floor; she spoke more clearly, her tears having stopped.

"There is also the Elixir itself, it doesn't just stop you from aging like we told everyone it did. It makes the drinker younger, depending on the amount consumed. A goblet full will take off twenty years, approximately."

"Interesting. Is that all?"

"No, there is one more thing. If you carry the Stone with you it boosts your magic's power and slows your aging. That's all."

Harry nodded thoughtfully, "And how do I know that any of this is true?"

She pointed at the diary sitting next to him on the desk. "That book contains all of our original research notes and findings. The only one we were never able to test was the Resurrection. We couldn't find the Resurrection Stone."

He picked up the diary and raised an eyebrow at her. "Why, would you keep it in here?"

"It's enchanted. It never runs out of pages and it can't be destroyed. IT seemed like the perfect place to record our findings."

Harry stood and walked out from behind the desk. He stopped in front of Perenelle and looked down at her. She met his gaze hopefully. He touched her cheek and stroked it gently. "Thank you. You have been of great assistance." She smiled. "However, your crimes cannot be ignored."

She looked confused. Harry pushed magic into his hand, causing her shriek and try to flinch away from him. He used his other hand to hold her still, while he worked.

After a minute he pulled his hand away to reveal a large burn on the side of her face. "In the old days traitors, killers and slaves were branded so that people would see it, and know what they had done. That is so the whole world will see what you truly are. I would suggest you not show your face in public again as that won't come off."

All this time Nicolas had been sitting there glaring at both Harry and his wife. Now he grew angry. "How dare you, you little piece of-" He was cut off mid sentence when Amorak sunk her teeth into his shoulder and bit. Harry walked over to the man.

"Don't think I have forgotten about you. You who kidnapped all of those children. You, who bled them dry. All for the sake of your own fucking benefit! Oh yes, I know what you did. Do you think that the story of the Philosopher's Stone would be unknown to me? Well I assure you, it is known to me, and let me tell you: I hate you. All you are is a worthless piece of shit. You sir, are a monster."

Flamel began to laugh. "You call ME a monster? Look around you. Your actions here today show that you are no different than I am."

Harry grabbed the man by his throat and yanked him to him. " _I_ didn't murder one hundred innocent children just to create a fucking stone now did I? I have done some bad things, but I will never sink as low as you. Don't think you are going to get off as easily. No, because of you, neither one of you will be leaving here alive."

Harry released him and turned to the now trembling Perenelle. "I'm sorry for this. I was going to let you live, but your husband has insulted my honor, I cannot let that stand. So you can thank him." He summoned a dagger out of the air and stepped up to her. "Tell you what, if you get out of here right now and never speak a word of this to anyone, I'll let you live." she nodded rapidly, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I promise!"

"No, I want you to swear it." He grabbed her wand off of the desk and tossed it to her. "Swear it!"

She picked up her wand and spoke in a quivering voice, "I, Perenelle Elizabeth Flamel, swear on my life and magic that I will never tell anyone of what really happened here today. So mote it be." There was a flash as the oath was accepted.

"Good girl. Now get out. If you aren't out of the house and gone by the time I finish with him then I will consider the deal broken and will not hesitate to kill you. Now go!"

She stood and ran out of the room as fast as she could on her injured leg. Harry twirled the dagger between his fingers as he stepped behind Nicolas. He knelt down and whispered in his ear. "You can thank Albus Dumbledore for this."

Flamel chuckled. "Albus. Ha! He's gonna fuck your life up when he finds out about this."

Harry growled, "He already fucked my life up. And besides, he won't know about this. No one knows I'm here. Albus is a fool, and he can't help you now." With those words he sunk the blade into Flamels neck and pulled it all the way from left to right. Blood gushed out at a rapid pace, spraying the wall and leaving it a deep red. For Harry it happened in almost slow motion, he watched the blood spew out, shining brilliantly in the sun that streamed in through the study's window.

There was a sound of running feet, he turned to see Perenelle carrying what looked like a bunch of large potion vials. "Pity, you had your chance." He bolted after her and drug her back to the study, and pushed her to her knees before him. "I gave you a chance. You didn't listen. You have no one to blame but yourself." He grabbed the sides of her head, fingers hooked underneath the jaw, and pulled up with all of his strength. There was a loud crunching sound a sickening crack as her spinal cord broke and her skin ripped. Harry tossed her head to the side and stepped over her body. He gathered up the vials that she had dropped and checked the label. 'Elixir' was all it said. "Well, that saves me the trouble of making some of my own for a little while." There was enough there to take off about three hundred years.

"Wait for me outside." He told Amorak, who turned and ran through the wall. He waved his hand and the blood on his hands and clothes disappeared. He Drew his wand and pointed it at the two bodies. " _Incendio!"_ They quickly caught flame. He stuffed the diary into his pocket and made his way out of the house, casting more fire spells as he went. Soon the whole building was up in flames, black smoke billowing into the cloudless blue sky. He cast another fire spell, leaving a large section of grass singed into one word:

 **EREBUS.**

* * *

Harry dropped backwards onto his bed. He felt no remorse for killing the Flamels. It was more than they deserved. The book now lay on his dresser and the bottles of elixir were safely stashed with the stone. He checked his watch, 3:45 P.M., it read. **_Still enough time to go and collect the locket._**

 _"Ooh, shiny!"_

 _Don't start Tom._

 _"But I love the locket. It was my favorite! So shiny, and pretty... My precious..."_

 _Oh gods, I should have never read those books._

 _"What? Why not Precious? Why not!"_

 _Because of that right there._

 _"Precious speaks in riddles and makes it hard for poor Tom to understand."_

"Why me? What did I ever do to deserve this?" Harry muttered aloud.

 _"You stoled it from us."_

 _Stole what?_

 _"MY PRECIOUS!"_

 _Why didn't I see that one coming?_

 _"Hahahaha! You fell for it!"_

 _Thanks, now I have a headache._

Tom laughed.

* * *

Harry stepped into the boat that would take him across to the small island in the center of the underground lake. The cave he was in was located on the coast, directly by the sea. The trip to the entrance was short but dangerous as the waves constantly crashed against the rocks with tremendous force, creating the possibility of being swept away and claimed by the sea. When he reached the entrance he sliced his palm and smeared the blood on the rock-face. The stone split down the middle and retracted to make a door.

He was careful not to touch the water, lest he awaken the Inferi sleeping below its surface. He stepped off onto the rocks and made his way to the basin situated at the center of the Isle. He gazed down at the green liquid swirling within. He knew what this potion would do, Tom had invented it himself. It would make a person feel helpless, like there was no hope. It would make them wish...no, BEG for death. In their desperation they would run into the water, where they would meet their end at the hands of the Inferi, to become Inferus themselves upon their death. Luckily for him he wouldn't have to drink it.

He cut his hand again and let his blood drip onto the basin. A hidden rune flashed and the potion began to drain out of the bowl. He reached in and plucked the locket out. He sent a wave of magic at it. The results shocked him. There was no Horcrux. **_What the hell! There's no Horcrux in this Tom._**

 _"What!Open it!"_

Harry tried to open it the normal way and it snapped open with no problem. Inside was a folded piece of parchment. Harry carefully unfolded it and began to read.

 _To the Dark Lord,_

 _I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more._

 _R.A.B._

Tom was seething. _"That bloody fucking maggot infested cunt faced horsefly! What the bloody fuck was he thinking! There is no way that he could have gotten out of here alive if he drank the potion, and since this is a fake he must have taken the Horcrux with him. Damn him."_

 _Who are you talking about?_

 _"Isn't it obvious? It has to be Regulus Black. Those are his initials. Regulus Arcturus Black. R.A.B. It all fits. He went missing, no one knew what happened to him so we all assumed that he was dead. Most of my followers thought that I killed him but I thought that they had. He had been heard talking about leaving our ranks. That idiot!"_

 _So, the locket has to be down there, with the Inferi._

 _"More than likely."_

 _Is it possible that he brought someone with him? And they took it._

 _"It's possible. But who?_

 _I don't know. Perhaps we should pay a visit to the Black family home._

 _"Perhaps we should."_

 _But we don't know where it is._

 _"True, but we know someone who does."_

* * *

Azkaban Island was located in the North Sea, though its exact coordinates are unknown. The only way to reach the Island fortress was by boat. This was the reason why Harry was now standing at the rail of a small ship, the hood of his cloak drawn down over his face slightly as the fierce winds whipped ice-cold drops of rain at him and the crew, including the team of Aurors that were on their way to begin their shift. It seemed, if what they said was true, that there was practically always a storm around the island.

The lack of transportation would make getting out very difficult. At least it would be if he didn't have Amorak with him. He had learned on accident that he could teleport with her if he was touching her when she did it.

He had told her where they were going and reached out to pet her when she disappeared, taking him with her. This is how they would get out. And as Dementors were creatures of the spirit world that had become trapped in this world when the veil thickened they would recognize her for what she was and avoid her. That would make things a lot easier.

The boat docked at a small peninsula where Harry and the Aurors disembarked. Harry gazed up at the dark silhouette of the massive prison fortress. Lightning flashed, lighting up the area for a split second only. There were no windows on the exterior of the building and only one way in. The front door.

He had to check in with the guard at the security station and hand over his wand, which was a fake created from a stick that he had found in the park near his house, he also gave a false name when the guard asked for it. After that it was relatively easy to find who he was looking for; all he had to do was follow the insane cackles. As he made his way down the dark halls of the prison he noticed that the number of guards got steadily less and less as he drew nearer to his target.

He found her sitting against the wall laughing maniacally at the slumped form of the man in the cell across from her, he was vaguely familiar. Harry turned to Amorak and they phased through the bars of the cell to stand before the woman. "Hello Bella. "

Her laughing stopped and her head snapped up to look at him. "Who the devil are you?" she asked in confusion.

"Elegantly put. 'Who the devil?' Yes indeed. Who the devil?" Harry mocked. "I, dear Bellatrix, am your master." He gave her a serious look.

She stared at him in shock for a moment and then burst into a fit of laughter. "Hahaha, that good!" Her voice grew quiet, "And they say _I'm_ crazy." She began to laugh hysterically again, until Harry had had enough. He drew his hand back and struck her hard. Bellatrix released a small scream as he did this, then looked back at him with blood running from her now split lip.

"You would do well to show some respect Bellatrix. Perhaps I won't be as lenient next time."

She narrowed her eyes, "What are you going to do? Kill me? Ha!"

"No," Harry drew his Ebony wand, 'I'm going to do this: _Crucio!_ " A high pitched shriek escaped her lips as she writhed on the floor. He knew that no one would come to investigate, he could hear worse sounds echoing off the stone walls throughout the prison, one more wouldn't raise any suspicion. He released the spell and she laid there panting, but with a strange smile on her face. **_Dear gods, she enjoyed that!_**

 _"Haha! Don't you remember? Bella LOVES torture. For her it's practically orgasm inducing."_

 _That's just sick...Tom I feel a little nauseous now._

 _"Breathe Harry, breathe! Deep breathes. In, and out. In, and out."_

 _Okay, that last phrasing wasn't helping much._

 _"Oops, sorry. Okay, inhale, exhale. Repeat."_

 _Shut up, I'm fine. We need to figure out how to make her join us._

 _"Show her, who is the dominate."_

Harry reached down and pulled Bellatrix into a standing position by her hair. He shoved her roughly against the wall, glared into her eyes. Her own eyes flicked up to his forehead, he stood poised to attack as she lifted a hand to brush aside his hair to get a better look. She cackled, but was soon spitting out blood after Harry backhanded her again. "What do you want?" she snarled at him.

"I've come for information, and perhaps more."

She chuckled, "You wish, a little young ain't ya?"

He smirked at her. "I was referring to you becoming one of my followers, nothing more than that. If you think that there is more to it than that then it is just your own sick fantasies."

"And what makes you think that I'll tell you what you want to know? Or even join you for that matter?" she asked.

Harry holstered his wand and summoned his dagger from the air. He hooked the blade's tip in the corner of her mouth. "I can be very persuasive." he told her adding some pressure with the knife.

"Aw, ickle baby Potter knows how to play."

He smiled maliciously, "I wonder how you would look with a Glasgow Smile Bella. I must admit, I'm very tempted to find out." He saw fear flash in her eyes. As crazy as she was, she was very vain about her appearance. "What do you say?"

Her eyes darted around, searching for an escape. The blade drew blood. "Going once." She was becoming frantic. He pressed harder. "Going twice." Her eyes widened, and mouth opened and closed wordlessly. Blood ran out of her mouth. "Going Thr-"

"Okay!. Okay! I'm in." she shouted desperately.

He smiled triumphantly and patted her mockingly on the cheek as he removed the blade. "That's a good girl. But I want your oath, that you will serve me faithfully until either I don't need or want you anymore or until you are dead. And that you will never betray me. Got it?" She nodded. "Good." He drew out his Holly wand and put it in her hand. "Don't do anything stupid, or you won't live to see tomorrow."

She held the wand up. "I, Bellatrix Druella LeStrange nee Black, do hereby swear on my life and magic that I will faithfully serve Harry Potter until my services are no longer needed or desired. I also swear to never betray him. So mote it be." As usual there was a flash as the oath was accepted.

Harry took his wand back and motioned for her to follow him. He pointed through the bars to the man on the other side of the corridor. "Who is he?"

"Oh, him. That's my traitorous cousin, Sirius Black." **_Tom, why is that name familiar?_**

 _"He was your father's best friend."_

 _Oh, then why is he here?_

 _"He uh...I don't know. Ask Bella."_

"What is he in here for?"

"They said it was because he was a follower of the Dark Lord and betrayed the Potters by giving up their whereabouts to him. That's not true though. He's a blood traitor. Pettigrew gave us the information we wanted, disgusting little rat that he is."

"Hmm, okay, we are taking him with us. Amorak!" Bella looked at him like he had lost his mind until the large Hellhound faded into view. "Take us over there." They phased into Sirius' cell and Harry levitated his unconscious form onto Amorak's back. He looked to Bellatrix, "Hold on tight. And don't kill anyone until I get there. Amorak, take them to my room." With that the dreary stone walls and depressive atmosphere of Azkaban faded.

Harry had let go before they started to fade and used that time to get out of the cell. He made his way back the way he had come and out through the security checkpoint, retrieving the fake wand as he went. He had first thought about just going with them but realized that he had been seen on the boat and entering the prison by too many people for it to not be suspicious.

He walked outside to find the boat that was taking the Aurors that had just finished their shift back to the mainland. He ran as fast as he could without revealing his enhanced abilities and made it on board just before they cast off. When they arrived on the mainland he quickly apparated back to his house and entered.

The sight that greeted him gave him pause.

Bellatrix was in the kitchen opening the cabinets searching for anything that she could find to eat; she apparently wasn't having much luck as she was yelling about there not being any decent food in the house. If this wasn't enough she had a large frying pan propped on her shoulder and uncle Vernon was laying in the middle of the floor with a knot rapidly forming on his forehead. Aunt Petunia was following behind Bella trying to rearrange everything back to its proper place.

He walked into the kitchen and asked in a loud voice, "What the HELL is going on here? Bellatrix, I said 'don't kill anyone."

Her eyes flicked to Vernon, "He ain't dead."

"No, but you're going to give my aunt a heart attack if you keep it up. Put the pan down and get in the living room. NOW!" she did as she was told, reluctantly. Harry looked at his aunt. "Get all of this cleaned up and start making dinner." He went to follow Bella but stopped to kick his uncle hard in the ribs. He groaned. "He'll be fine."

He came into the living room to find Bellatrix lounging on the couch. "Where's Sirius?" She didn't answer, just pointed behind the chair that Harry usually sat in. Harry looked over to see Sirius curled up behind it, still unconscious. He levitated him to the other couch and took a seat in his chair. "Okay, we need to set some ground rules here. First, you will do everything and anything I tell you, when I tell you; second, you are not to hurt anyone, I need them to still be able to function properly, I have an image to uphold here; third, you are not to leave the house unless I say otherwise; and fourth," he looked at her dirty hair and skin. "You are to bathe on a daily basis. Any questions?"

She looked at him, "No."

"Good."

* * *

Hermione sat on her bed reading. She had just finished another chapter of her book when she heard a tapping, as if someone were gently rapping on her window. She turned her gaze in the direction of the noise to find Hedwig perched on her window sill. She quickly ran over and threw her window open, letting the beautiful white owl in. She reached out and deftly untied the letter on her leg. She opened it and read it with a smile before dashing to her desk to compose a reply.

 _Dearest Harry,_

 _I am very well, thank you. I hope you have a good time on your trip. Don't worry, I will practice every night. I look forward to your return so that we can spend more time together._

 _Love,_

 _Hermione._

She nodded in satisfaction and gave the letter to Hedwig, who gave her an affectionate nip on the hand before flying away.

Hermione returned to her bed and continued reading. She wished that she could have gone with Harry, but knew that he would have an easier time without her. As smart as she was, she was no where near as good a fighter as he was. She intended to remedy this so that she could be of more use in the future. With that thought in mind she closed her book and headed outside to get in a good run before bed. After all, how could she become a better fighter if she wasn't in shape?

* * *

Harry had sent Bellatrix upstairs to get cleaned up and he was now standing over Sirius as he regained consciousness. Sirius stared blearily at the figure next to him. "James?"

Harry chuckled, "No, not quite."

"Ha-Harry?" Sirius asked, hope shining in his dark eyes. "I must be dreaming." Harry reached out and pinched him hard on the arm. Sirius yelped. "Ow! What was that for?"

"To show you that you aren't dreaming. This is real."

"H-How? Where am I?"

"You are at Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surry. In the home of Harry Potter. As for how, well, that's simple. Amorak." Harry told him. Sirius gazed up at him in confusion and opened his mouth to ask a question. He never got the words out as he was soon staring in awe at the great Hound before him.

"Oh."

"Why don't you tell me what happened to get you thrown in Azkaban." Harry said as he returned to his seat, Amorak laid down next to him and Harry began to absently scratch her behind her ears.

Sirius' features grew dark, "Albus Fucking Dumbledore happened. I went after Peter Pettigrew because he betrayed your parents to Voldemort. The bastard killed a bunch of muggles and cut off his own finger before transforming into a rat and escaping, just in time for me to get caught by Aurors. They had me in the Ministry holding cells until my trial, which never happened. Just before they took me to Azkaban I was visited by some guy who worked in the Archives Department. What was his name? Scurry? Scornly? No..."

"Scurlock?" Harry supplied helpfully. Sirius snapped his fingers and smiled, "Yeah, that's it. Scurlock. He came in and showed me a document from the Wizenagmot saying that I was found guilty of being a Death Eater and assisting in the deaths of Lily and James Potter. It was signed by the head of the Wizenagmot, Albus Dumbledore himself. He said that he had tried to get an appeal but the request was shot down by Dumbledore, who told him that he had no rights, considering his conditions."

"What conditions?" Harry asked curiously.

"He wouldn't tell me everything, just that he was a squib. He only has his job because he has been there so long that he knows the Archives by memory. They can't risk letting him leave with all of that information. Which was wierd because he looked really young, eighteen or so."

"Interesting. Well, not much has changed since you were imprisoned. Dumbledore is still as influential and manipulative as ever. I am working quietly to bring him down, but the going is slow. Earlier today I eliminated two of his most powerful supporters. So that is something at least."

"What do you mean 'eliminated'?"

"Killed."

Sirius was shocked, "Killed! You killed someone Harry? Are you crazy?"

"Yes, killed. Yes, I did kill someone, two someones actually. And no, I am perfectly sane( ** _Stop laughing Tom!_** ). They were liabilities and had to be taken care of." Harry took in Sirius' still shocked expression. "Don't act so surprised Sirius, you aren't the only one who has been wronged by Dumbledore. After all, I ended up here didn't I. My guess for that is that he knew that I would be hated here. He wanted me to be weak, subdued, easier to control. But that plan backfired. I didn't go to Gryffindor like wanted, instead I am in Ravenclaw. I didn't befriend the Weasleys like he planned, no, their youngest son is dead already, he just doesn't know it yet. Damn, I shouldn't have said that. Now I need you to swear fealty to me."

"What! Swear fealty?"

"Either that or I have to kill you."

Sirius laughed, but stopped when he realized that Harry wasn't joking. "You're Serious aren't you?"

"No, that would be you." Harry chuckled. "Joking aside though, yes I'm dead serious."

Sirius sighed. Harry handed him a wand and he swore the same oath that Bellatrix had. "Good, now that that's out of the way, you need a shower."

That night Harry lay in bed thinking. He still had a lot to do. It had only been one day but he had already made a huge dent in his plans. But he would have to lay low for a few weeks before he could do anything else. With that he drifted off to sleep. He dreamed peaceful dreams for the first time in a long time; he dreamed of when he would be able to live in peace. He dreamed of a house on a hill, in the middle of a great open plain surrounded by forests. He dreamed of a family, and his beautiful wife. Yes, his dreams were peaceful, unlike his current circumstances. He still had a long way to go before he could make that dream a reality.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, there's that. I had a lot of trouble with the Azkaban/Bellatrix/Sirius section of this chapter. Writing Bellatrix is harder than I thought it would be and I don't know how well I did. I wasn't sure about adding another familiar for Harry, but it just seemed to fit. Hope that ending wasn't too cheesy or cliché. As always, let me know what you think. No Flames.-Atrocity.**


	13. Inconceivable Ideal

13: Inconceivable Ideal

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable.

A/N: This was a bit hard to write, I had to break through a writer's block at about halfway or so. Special thanks to Paladeus, who has been a huge help with this story, thank you!

I want to remind everyone that this is a repost of an old story which got deleted in the great fanfic purge. Unfortunately no evidence exists anywhere of this story or the author. Ido hope to return the gem of a relic to general public. Also, Fanfiction needs more metal

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

 **I Am Atrocity**

 **Chapter XIII: Inconceivable Ideal**

 **'You can astound this human race, you can embrace lies built on faith, you can manipulate a simple story, for fear, panic, glory!'**

 **-Crucifixion by Aiden**

Albus Dumbledore was not having a good day. He was standing near the still smoking ruins of the Flamels' home while a team of Aurors were scouring the wreckage and surrounding area for any evidence that could help them determine who had done this. The were continuously coming up empty-handed. On top of that they had already had to run off three droves of reporters since they had arrived. It was getting very irritating.

Not only did he just lose two of his most influential supporters, he had also lost a key ingredient to his own immortality. Without their knowledge and research of the Philosopher's Stone he could not create a new one to replace the one that had been destroyed. He looked down at the burned patch of grass at his feet and frowned. Whoever this 'Erebus' was he, or she, had to be found and stopped before they could do anymore damage.

He was brought out of his musings when he was approached by the Auror in charge of the crime scene. "Ah, Kingsley. Did you find anything?"

"Sorry, Albus. Everything that was in the house is gone. We did find what looks to be the remains of two people, I'm presuming it's the Flamels." Kingsley Shacklebolt answered with a frustrated sigh. He stood next to Dumbledore and looked back at where his team were still scanning the area. "Who would do something like this? I mean, what was the point of it?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Dumbledore said.

Kingsley nodded. "Well, my guess is that someone was trying to make a statement." he gestured to the burnt grass. "Do you think it could be Death Eaters? Or a new Dark Lord?"

Albus shook his head. "I honestly do not know. If it was Death Eaters they would have left the Dark Mark in the sky, not this. It is possible that this is the work of someone who fancies himself a Dark Lord."

Kingsley rubbed his chin as he pondered this. "What is 'Erebus'?"

"Supposedly a god. The name means 'Deep Shadow' or 'Darkness' in the old Greek tongue. Utter nonsense if you ask me. There are no gods. We are not governed over by some benign all-knowing being. We make our own destinies. We shape our own futures." Dumbledore told him. Kingsley agreed with him on the subject of gods. He had seen too many horrible things such as the scene before him to believe in any all-powerful supernatural being. If they did exist then why did they let such atrocities as this occur?

Albus' thoughts on this were biased, he was only saying what he wanted to be true. He had played God for so long that he was no longer able to see beyond himself.

At that moment there was a shout from one of the Aurors that were digging through the ruble. "OY! I THINK I GOT SOMETHING HERE!"

Dumbledore and Kingsley rushed over to where the man was standing. At his feet was an uncovered trapdoor that led underground. Dumbledore was about to unlock the door and open it when he remembered what the Flamels had kept down there. It was where they kept all of their research equipment, their potion making tools and ritual preparation supplies. He couldn't let anyone there see what was down there. A lot of what they did was highly illegal. He pulled his hand back and turned to the gathering of Aurors. "That is enough gentlemen. Your services are no longer required."

Kingsley was confused, "But sir, what if there is valuable evidence down there? We should at least check it over before we leave."

"No, that won't be necessary. This door can only be opened by either the Flamels or myself. There is no way that anyone could have gotten down there." Dumbledore assured, sending them a small Confundus charm suggesting that they didn't need to do anymore.

Kingsley hesitated a bit before clapping his hands. "Okay boys. We're done here. Let's go." With that they all apparated away.

Albus looked around to make sure there was no one else around before bending down and using a small key that he had in his pocket to unlock the door. He pulled it open and descended the set of stairs that led down to the basement. Normally the entrance would have been covered by a thick rug, but the fire had burned it; the door, being made of metal, had survived with just a bit of cosmetic damage.

At the base of the stairs was another door, which he unlocked with the same key. The room beyond this door was wide and open. In one corner was a potions lab, in another was a library, and in the far back was an area left open for the performance of rituals. He bypassed the all of this to go to a section of wall that held two more doors. The one on the right was made of heavy iron and led further down while the left was made of simple plain wood. He opened the left door and entered a study like room. There were bookshelves lining the walls and a desk sat at the back. He went the desk and began to search through the drawers. He found lists, lunar calenders and empty notebooks. Nothing that could help him.

It was when he was going through the last drawer that things began to look up for him. It was just a few scraps of paper, but written on them was the steps to creating the Philosopher's Stone and the process of making the Elixir. He read through the requirements for the Stone:

 _The blood of one hundred innocent humans (children between the ages of one and thirteen work the best)_

 _One uncut diamond (to use as the stone, diamond works best because the stone used gets weaker it is complete)_

 _One cauldron (large enough to hold all of the blood) inscribed with the runes for 'Life', 'Death', 'Sacrifice' and 'Creation'._

He read on to the section describing the process:

 _Create a ritual circle._

 _Place cauldron in the center of the circle._

 _Drain the sacrifices' blood into the cauldron._

 _Heat the blood until it is boiling._

 _Drop diamond into the boiling blood._

 _Place hands on the cauldron and speak the words: Inferno recipere da mihi munus quod non est de hoc mundo. Fac lapis regni tui. Fac lapis sanguinis. (Translation: Hell, give me the gift that is not of this world. Let a stone be of thy kingdom. Make a Stone of Blood)._

 _The runes will flash a deep red and the blood will be absorbed through the diamond and into the void. In its place will be the Philosopher's Stone. The Stone of Blood._

He was awed. The process was very simple. He wondered about the parts that referenced to 'Hell', and 'not of this world' and 'the Void'. He shrugged, it was probably for the sake of dramatics than anything else. The process for the Elixir of Life was even easier and wouldn't take very long at all. It read:

 _Brew a common Healing Draught with the Stone as an added ingredient._

So simple. He folded the parchment up and stuffed it safely into a pocket in his robes. The sacrifices shouldn't be too hard for him to acquire, after all, he was the Headmaster of a School.

He exited the study and re-locked the door. He then unlocked the large iron door and descended the steps. At about halfway the spell of stale urine and other waste reached his nose. He quickly applied a Bubble-head Charm and continued down.

The sight he came upon would have made any normal person vomit and weep. All around the room children of varying ages, from three to ten, were chained to the walls, locked in cages, in barred pits. Albus Dumbledore only smirked, his eyes twinkling merrily. The work was already nearly half done. All he had to do now was kidnap about forty more children and he would have enough. A few a year should keep him from being caught, take one, let it blow over, repeat until he had enough. Some would have to be disposed of soon, and it would take more than a few years but he wasn't worried about that, he had time. Yes, things were looking up for Albus Dumbledore.

Miles away Harry had just read the same entry, though in greater detail, in the journal. Unlike Dumbledore he was disgusted. Brewing the Elixir he had no problem with, but he would never create another Stone. It was early in the morning and he was the only one up. He sat in his room on his bed, his stereo playing the opening riff to Slayer's 'Raining Blood'.

The night before had been interesting to say the least. After Bellatrix had finished her shower and changed into some his aunt's old clothes she had come into his room where he was reading. She had basically looked around for a few minutes then made to leave again. Of course that plan went to hell when Sirius exited the bathroom in Harry's room.

At the sight of the other they had both reached for wands that they didn't have and tried to curse each other. After that they had tried to kill each other with whatever they could get their hands on. Tom had laughed his ass off, while at the same time commentating like he had heard done on a wrestling program that they had seen once. Harry had found it terribly amusing until Bella had tried to bite Sirius' ear off, at which point he had placed them both in a full-body bind and Told them Rule Number Five: Play Nicely. After that he had enlarged Dudley's old toy room and added a dividing wall down the middle. After adding a bathroom and a bed to each he had assigned them each a side and gone to bed.

He flipped to the next page and read. It was the details of the Resurrection Theory.

 _In order to resurrect a soul from the dead one must first have a vacant body, a body that is still alive but has no soul inhabiting it. This can be accomplished in two ways: a Dementor's Kiss or an Exorcism. The Stone must be secured to the body so that it is touching bare skin at all times, during the procedure._

 _Or you can use a Regeneration Potion to create a new one. But before this can be done one must have already summoned the desired individual's soul. Before you add the final ingredients (Bone of the Father/Mother, Flesh of the Servant/friend, Blood of the Enemy/loved one) the soul must enter the cauldron._

 _To recreate a specific body one must have a piece of the old body (similar to Pollyjuice Potion)and add it after the blood. The Philosopher's Stone must be added as the very first ingredient._

 _Note: Only individual souls may be brought back at a time. Soul Bonded souls cannot be resurrected unless one of the pair is still alive. This is because Soul Bonded pairs cannot be separated except by death; if one of them dies, the other will seek any means to be reunited with his/her soul mate, his/her other half, even suicide._

 _If one of them were to be resurrected they would not live long enough for the other to be brought back as well, the Philosopher's Stone cannot be used for this purpose again until after one full lunar cycle. It should also be noted that the Stone will fracture after each successful resurrection and turn to dust after the third. After this a new Stone must be created._

 _ **Well, that was certainly unexpected.**_

 _"Which part?"_

 _ **All of it. I mean, the process isn't complicated, it would just be difficult to acquire all of the necessary supplies. Plus that restriction on Soul Bonded couples.**_

 _"Yeah, that is unfortunate. Were you thinking of bringing back your parents?"_

 _ **The thought had crossed my mind. I'll just have to see if Sirius knows.**_

 _"It doesn't matter much right now anyway."_

 _ **What do you mean?**_

 _"Well, you are missing the key ingredient, we don't have the Resurrection Stone."_

Harry tossed the journal to the side. _**You're right. The whole thing is pointless without it.**_ He stood up and walked to his dresser. He withdrew the box and opened it. Everything was in place, the Stone and bottles of Elixir on one side and the Ring on the other. _**I wonder,**_ he reached in and picked up the Ring, _**If a Hellhound can see souls and drag them back to the other side, can they take a soul or soul piece out of something?**_

 _Tom pondered, "Perhaps. It would make sense. Only one way to find out."_

Harry closed the box and made his way over to where Amorak was laying at the end of his bed. "Amorak," she looked up at him, then her eyes focused on the Ring in his hand. "Can you remove the soul piece from this?" he set the ring down on the floor and backed up a few steps.

Amorak's eyes never left the Ring, she snarled at it as it was placed on the ground, as if she knew what it was. As soon as Harry was at a safe distance she lunged at it and bit the air a centimeter above it. A high pitched male scream echoed through the room as she tugged and tore at the invisible foe that she had sunk her razor-sharp teeth into. All the while the Ring was shaking violently as if the soul were attempting to keep its hold on it.

Amorak snapped her jaws and made a motion similar to a wolf ripping meat from a carcass, with a final blood-curdling scream the soul came loose and Amorak tipped her head back, opened and closed her jaws, then swallowed. As soon as this happened Harry and Tom could feel the presence of the Horcrux being snuffed out until it had faded completely.

"Well," Harry spoke, breaking the silence that had fallen when Amorak had returned to her nap, "That answers that question." He bent down and picked up the Ring. Then another thought entered his mind. _**I'm not going to have to worry about her leaving a pile of digested soul on the floor am I?**_

 _"Haha! No, I don't think so. I did do research on them you know. A Hellhound's digestive process is different than that of other living creatures. Anything they eat is automatically converted into energy for the Hound. It is similar to Dementors, why do you think you didn't see any Dementor droppings at Azkaban?"_

 _ **Oh, I just thought that that was the real reason why Aurors hated working at Azkaban.**_

 _"Hahaha! No, no. While Dementors are to blame, their waste is not."_

Harry chuckled as he slipped the Ring onto his finger and exited his room. He walked into the Kitchen and set about making a pot of tea.

Harry had just sat down with his steaming cup of tea when Hedwig came in through the open window looking slightly ruffled. Harry stared after her in confusion as she disappeared into his room where her perch was located.. _"Wasn't she supposed to bring a reply from Hermione?"_

 _ **Yeah.**_

 _"Then...where is it?"_

 _ **I don't know.**_

 _"Hmm, have you tried the mind link?"_

 _ **No, I didn't think about it.**_

 _"Try it."_

 _ **OK...**_ He focused on thinking of Hermione. _**Hermione?**_

There was silence for a moment before there was a slightly surprised response, though it was quiet and sounded like it was coming from a great distance, which it was.

 _ **Harry? Is that you?**_

 _ **Yeah.**_ Harry could feel a slight pressure building behind his eyes.

 _ **Um, why is this giving me a headache?**_

 _ **I don't know, I'm having the same problem.**_

 _"Maybe the bond isn't strong enough to you to be able to communicate well over great distances."_

 _ **Was that Tom? What did he say? I couldn't hear him very well.**_

 _ **He said that our bond probably isn't strong enough yet to be able to communicate at this distance. Maybe we should use the phone.**_

 _ **OK. I'll call you.**_

He severed the link and immediately the pressure began to fade, but he still swallowed a couple of painkillers just in case. Not a moment later the phone began to ring. He stepped out to the living room and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey Harry! Okay, so now that we can actually hear each other better, what did you want to say?" Hermione spoke through the receiver.

"Oh, well, Hedwig was supposed to wait for a reply from you, did she?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I sent one." Hermione answered, confusion clear in her voice.

"Hmm, I was wondering because she didn't have one when she got here. And she looked a little...ruffled."

"You don't think she could have been attacked do you?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"No, well maybe. She could have just lost it on the way."

"But Hedwig has never lost a letter. And I'm sure that if she dropped it she would have retrieved it." Hermione said skeptically.

Harry ran his hand through his hair. "True."

At that moment the silence in the house was broken by a shout and a loud bang. "BITCH!"

"MUTT!"

"DARK LORD'S WHORE!"

This one was followed by the sound of something glass hitting a wall and breaking. "HA! YOU MISSED!" Another bang and a groan.

"I DIDN'T MISS THAT TIME DID I!"

"DAMN IT! THAT HURT!"

"QUIT BEING A BABY!"

Harry shook his head at their antics. "Harry? What was that yelling? Is everything okay?" Hermione's worried voice asked.

"Everything's fine. Sirius and Bella are having their familial bonding time." Harry answered nonchalantly.

"Are they always like that? Wait! Bella and Sirius?"

"Yeah, I busted them out of Azkaban yesterday."

"Wh- oh, hang on, the Prophet just arrived." He could hear her on the other end unfolding the paper. "Harry! You-" her voice lowered to a whisper, "you killed the Flamels?"

"Yes."

"And busted two convicted criminals from prison?"

"Yes."

"And killed a family in Berlin?"

"Uh..no. What are you talking about?"

"Its right here on the front page: 'Flamels Murdered, Family butchered in Berlin and Azkaban Breakout-The signs of a new Dark Lord?'. The article is pretty short and straight forward. The Aurors didn't find any evidence at any of the crime scenes. Only your Mark at the Flamels, and that the cuts on the family were made by a blade of some sort. I know you have a thing for knives. They're most stumped by the breakout. Its like the prisoners just disappeared. How did you accomplish that?"

"Funny story. I got a dog."

"A dog?" Hermione asked skeptically. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Harry scratched the back of his head. "Well, you see, it's not a regular dog...It's a Hellhound."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh! And that reminds me, I got rid of another of Voldy's pieces this morning."

"Harry, that's great! How?"

"Amorak ate it!"

"Who?"

"Amorak. The Hellhound."

"Oh...Wait, it ATE a Horcrux?"

"Yup, tore the soul piece right out of the object and devoured it. Tom told me that anything a Hellhound eats is automatically converted into energy so no worries. It's gone. And I don't have to worry about nearly dieing either."

He heard her sigh through the receiver, relief flooded her voice. "That's good to hear. So, back to our earlier subject. Why did you go after the Flamels?"

"Well, as you know I kept the Stone that Voldemort was after. And as you know it was created by Nicolas Flamel. I needed to know more about the Stone and what it can do." Harry answered her.

"And how did killing them accomplish that?"

"Oh, the killing came after, torture made them talk faster, or at least it made Mrs. Flamel talk. Mr. Flamel was a stubborn ass and didn't even try to help his wife, kept talking about how Albus had asked them to keep that information a secret."

"Bastard."

"I agree."

"So, I take it you got the information you were looking for?"

"Of course. They had everything written down in a journal, which I took. I would have let them live, except when I confirmed how they had created the Stone. You've heard the muggle legend right?"

"About having to sacrifice one hundred innocent humans?" Her voice was appalled.

"Yup, they did it, with children."

There was a growl from the the other end. "I hope that you made them pay."

"Let's just say that they weren't smiling about what I did to them."

"Good, oh, damn. I gotta go, mum's calling. Bye, Harry."

"Bye, love."

He returned the receiver to the cradle and made to go back to the kitchen to finish his tea when Bellatrix came down the stairs scowling. "Ah, Bella. I need to talk to you. Come, have a cup of tea." Harry said as he walked back to the kitchen. Bella had no choice but to follow, still scowling.

Harry sat down in his chair as an owl carrying his copy of the Prophet through the window. He paid for and the bird left. Harry opened the paper as Bella poured herself a cup of tea. They were also joined by Sirius, who sat as far from Bella as possible. As Hermione had said, his actions had made the front page. "Here, take a look at this." He tossed the paper to Bella. She looked impressed but was trying not to show it. Sirius only glanced at it as he already knew about the Flamels.

"That's not why I need to speak with you two though. You both have information that may prove useful to me. Now, Sirius, I need you to take me to the Black ancestral home as soon as possible." Harry told his godfather.

"Why would you want to go there?" Sirius asked him.

"There may an object of great importance hidden there and I must find it. Bella, before he was defeated your old master gave you an item, a cup, a golden cup to be precise. I need it as well."

"How do you know about that!" Bellatrix demanded. She had taken great care to make sure that no one knew about the cup.

"How I know of it is of no importance. All that matters is that I get it."

"Why do you want it?" she asked warily.

"At the moment that is non of your business." Harry responded.

"Oh, and you expect me to just hand it over to you without first knowing your intentions!"

"Yes, you took an oath. You are effectively my servant. I would prefer to be on better terms than that with both of you but in order for that to happen you have to learn to trust me. And obey me when I ask something of you. Unless you want to end up like the Dursleys."

Bella flinched slightly at that. "No."

"No what?"

"No I don't want to end up like that."

"Good. Now, you will find a way to retrieve the cup while I go to Black manor with Sirius."

"It's in my vault in Gringotts."

"Then there shouldn't be a problem. The goblins despise our government and would never help them, not even to catch an escaped convict. But that doesn't matter anyway. You can borrow Amorak to get to your vault without tripping any security wards. Get the cup and come straight back here. If I'm not here when you get back then put the cup in my room and wait out here for me to return." She nodded.

Harry and Sirius were standing on the sidewalk of a rather rundown area of London. They had taken the Knight Bus to a place called Number 12 Grimmauld Place. When he asked Sirius what Grimmauld Place was he told him that it was the floo address for Black Manor.

As they stood there Harry watched as the house appeared out of nowhere. "Wards?" he asked Sirius.

He nodded. "Yeah."

They made their way across the street and Sirius opened the front door. Harry entered and found himself standing in near-complete darkness. He immediately released a wave of magic and the results showed that the entire upper floors where littered with dark objects. With a quick wave of his hand the lamps and other sources of light flared to life.

He took in his surroundings; everything was covered in dust and the furniture was covered with sheets. _"This place is an asthmatic nightmare. An allergenic one too. Whatever you do, don't breathe!"_

 _ **Um...Tom, I'm not asthmatic.**_

 _"Not yet. But if we stay here much longer you will be."_

"Does your family not own a House Elf?" Harry asked Sirius. He knew that most of the old pureblood families own at least one House Elf. Why should the Blacks be any different?

"Yeah, but he was old. He may have died already." Sirius answered, not sounding like he cared either way.

"Call him," Harry requested.

Sirius nodded. "Kreacher!"

There was a small pop as an old unpleasant looking House Elf appeared before them. It laid eyes on them and began to mutter to itself. "Traitors, filth. In my mistress' home. Mistress will not be pleased."

Sirius opened his mouth to retort but Harry beat him to it. "Shut up. From now on you will only speak when I tell you that you can. Got it?"

Kreacher glared at him. "Who does this filthy child think he is? Defiling my mistress' home and giving orders." He would have said more had Harry not grabbed him by his throat and pushed subduing magic into him. Kreacher's limbs fell limp.

"I will tell you who I am Kreacher. I am your new master, and if I tell you to do something, you do it. Do you understand?" Kreacher nodded fearfully, frightened that his Elf magic wasn't letting him escape. "Good. Now, I'm looking for a golden locket engraved with a snake. It may have been brought here by Regulus. Or you. After all, you helped place it in its hiding place. Why wouldn't you help steal it?" Harry stared at the Elf that he still held. "If it is here, retrieve it for me." He released Kreacher from his grip and the Elf immediately disappeared. "Know that if you disobey me I will burn this place to the ground!" he yelled, knowing that Kreacher would hear him.

Sirius was staring at Harry with a look of slight awe. Harry just ignored it. "So, Sirius, let's have a look around shall we?" At that moment Kreacher popped back with a golden locket hanging from his hands. At this distance Harry could easily sense the Horcrux in it. He held out his hand for it, Kreacher hesitated for a second before reluctantly handing it over when Harry glared at him. He stuffed the locket into his jeans pocket. "Let's go."

They toured the house to its entirety, Harry took a few of the books from the library, and then left. Upon their return to Privet Drive, via Apparation, they found Bellatrix in the living room standing over a destroyed television set. Harry looked at her, then the TV, and back again. "What happened?" he demanded.

She spun around quickly and Harry noted that she had been sporting a satisfied and relieved expression, which turned to a look of feigned innocence. "What?"

"What happened?" he asked again, gesturing to the broken TV.

"I sat down on the couch and this thing started making noise and then it started yelling at me. So I showed it what happens when you mess with me." she said as if it were obvious.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "So let me get this straight, you destroyed my TV because it was yelling at you?"

"Yes! All I did was sit down and suddenly it wakes up and gets mad at me."

"All that you had to do was press the power button, you didn't have to break it!"

"Hey, don't blame me! If you want to blame someone blame the..tee-vee, it started it!"

Harry shook his head and waved his hand at the TV, which repaired itself instantly. "Did you get the cup?" he asked her.

She nodded, "It's in your room, your dog was growling at it the whole time since we found it."

"Tell aunt Petunia to get started on lunch, I'll be back out here in a little while." Harry made his way into his room as Bella skipped off to the kitchen and locked the door behind him. As Bella had said, Amorak was standing over a golden cup engraved with a badger growling at it, but not attacking yet. She was waiting for Harry to give the OK. The cup itself was trembling, as if it could tell that its end was near. "Go ahead girl."

Without hesitation Amorak's jaws snapped forward and began to rip the soul piece from the Cup. When that was done Harry set the Locket down and placed the Cup on his dresser. Amorak repeated the process and swallowed the next piece. Once the Horcrux was gone Harry picked up the Locket and secured it around his neck, the Locket itself coming to rest on his lower chest.

 _ **Only one more to go.**_

 _"Yes, we are almost there. Soon there will be only the piece of him that is wandering around, unable to take a physical shape."_

 _ **Harry absently twisted the Ring on his right middle finger. I wonder what this Ring does. I can feel that it has some magical properties but I can't determine what they are. I wish I could talk to someone who did know, it would make things easier.**_

 _"Who could we talk to that has extensive knowledge of magical artifacts?"_

 _ **I don't know anyone that we could trust.**_

 _"I don't know either. But I did notice something. Its signature is similar to that of your cloak."_

 _ **Really?**_ Harry pulled his invisibility Cloak out of his closet and laid it on the bed. He took the Ring off and set it next to it. A wave of diagnostic magic swept out to surround the two objects, their auras appeared briefly, just long enough for Harry to notice the differences. Both had their own unique shimmer, but both also were surrounded by the same gray mist-like aura. _**Huh, your right. But why is that?**_

 _"I have a theory, but we would need to find Dumbledore to know for sure."_

 _ **What?**_

 _"You remember when I told you and Hermione about the Deathly Hallows? The Wand, The Cloak and-"_

 _ **The Stone!**_

 _"Yes. This only a theory but perhaps these are two of them."_

 _ **So, say that you are right, if we have the Stone and Cloak, then Dumbledore has the Wand, since he won it from Grindlewald.**_

 _"Yes."_

 _ **Maybe we should pay him a visit. After all he has owned the Wand and should know its signature. Besides Dumbledore he is the only one who would, and we definitely can't trust Dumbledore.**_

 _"We could, but first we'll have to get everything here situated."_

 **XXXX Time Skip: July 31 1992.**

Harry ducked a stunner and dove behind the couch. Not long after destroying the two Horcruxes he had taken Sirius and Bellatrix to Draven's for new wands. He had also gotten them both a knew wardrobe, but it was the wands that he was regretting at the moment.

Today was Harry's birthday and Bella, having warmed up to Harry and taken a almost parental role in his life, had decided to try and bake a cake, against his better judgment Harry had allowed it. When she caught the oven on fire Sirius had started poking fun at her. From there it had escalated into a full blown quarrel. He was just glad that they weren't hurling lethal spells at each other, though Bella did toss a few _Crucio_ s into her combos. Sirius on the other hand was sticking to stunners and schoolyard jinxes and hexes.

His relatives were cowering in the kitchen while they were fighting in the living room. The sound of spells being cast was pierced by the doorbell ringing. Harry rushed out of the safety of his cover and bolted out into the hall that led to the front door. He opened it and came face to face with a smiling Hermione. He had called her a few days ago to tell her to tell her parents that he and his family had had to cut there 'vacation' short and to ask if she could come visit for the day. They had agreed.

He was quickly engulfed in a tight hug from her. It was cut short though when Harry sensed a spell coming towards them and had to grab her and drop them both out of its path. Luckily it hadn't gone out of the door for the neighborhood to see. He ushered Hermione into the house and closed the door, absently noting that there was no vehicle in sight. "How did you get here?" he asked her as he pulled her into the safety of the kitchen.

"I took the Knight Bus like you mentioned." she said as the was a yelp and a shout of triumph from the living room. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. He just shook his head and nodded at the door. Bella came waltzing in with a self-satisfied smirk on her face. Apparently she had won...again. She usually did because Sirius liked to play around and taunt her instead of fighting. It was a habit that Harry had been trying to break him of, without much success.

Bella's gazed landed on Hermione. "Who is this?" she asked.

"This, is Hermione, my girlfriend and bond mate." Harry told her proudly, the admiration he was showing made Hermione blush.

Bellatrix wasn't impressed. "Oh, so this is the mudblood you mentioned."

Harry's eyes blazed, "Yes, she is a _muggle-born_. And you would do well to show some respect."

Bellatrix scowled, "I find it hard to respect a woman who has no breasts. It isn't very appealing after all."

Harry scowled at her and squeezed Hermione's hand, that had even realized that he as holding. For her part, Hermione was glaring daggers at Bellatrix, but Harry could make out a hint of doubt in her eyes. _"Now that's just plain rude!"_

 _ **I agree. This prejudice is not going to be tolerated.**_

Hermione had been silently watching and listening to the exchange between Harry and Tom and sensed that Harry was close to losing his temper. She decided to intervene, "Come on Harry, I want to meet Amorak." She had been looking forward to that since he had mentioned the Hellhound on the phone during their first call, she had since learned a bit more about it from their other conversations.

Harry nodded and, still glaring, led her out of the kitchen. As they exited Hermione threw a look over her shoulder at Bella...if looks could kill, Bellatrix would have burst into flames. She only received a smirk in response.

As they passed the living room Sirius had walked out/ When his gaze fell upon them he smiled. "Hello, you must be Hermione." he held out his hand to her, she shook it. "Harry has told us about you."

Hermione's cheeks turned pink at this. "All good I hope."

"Of course."

Harry cleared his throat, "Thanks for that Sirius, but we were going to-" He had been steadily pulling Hermione towards the door to the 'cupboard', which Sirius noticed.

"Harry, you know the rules about having girls in the bedrooms." Sirius told him in his best 'disapproving father' voice.

Harry looked at Sirius like he was crazy. "Uh, Sirius, there's no rules about that."

Sirius feigned surprise, "Well there is now. You may be in charge here but I'm still your godfather."

"Yes Sirius, you are my godfather, and I love as any kid would love their father but," he gave him a warning look, "I won't hesitate to _Crucio_ you if you keep this up." _"YES! CRUCIO! CRUCIO! Why isn't this working? Come on Harry! CRUCIO!"_

"Yeah, I know you wouldn't hesitate to torture me, but think about it like this: it isn't appropriate for a young lady to be alone in a _bedroom_ with a young man. Imagine what her parents would think."

Harry sighed, "I'm married to her for Odin's sake! ( _Yeah!_ ) Besides, when have you ever followed those rules, or any others for that matter?" _"Take that you wannabe authority figure!"_

Sirius laughed, "Not once." He then thought about that statement. "But that's different, I was older than you and more ma-" _"Bullshit!"_

"If you say 'mature' I'll know for a fact that you are lying through your teeth." Harry interrupted.

Sirius had the grace to look guilty. Hermione had been watching and listening (both to the external conversation and the internal through the bond) the whole time, biting her lip so she wouldn't laugh. _"Hurry, run while he's not looking!"_ They took Tom's advise and bolted through the 'cupboard' door. Sirius turned his attention back to the two, only to find himself staring at a blank section of wall. There was an audible click and as the lock on Harry's door was secured, followed by the door flashing white as the locking and privacy wards activated.

Later that day, after they had eaten a cake that had (thankfully) not been made by Bellatrix, Harry and Hermione had once again retired to his room. They now sat cuddled up on his bed, the stereo playing Celtic Frost lightly in the background, discussing Harry's plans for the rest of the summer. "Tomorrow, I'm going to Nurmengard to speak to Grindlewald about the Deathly Hallows. You are welcome to come along if you want." Harry told Hermione as he absently played with her hair.

"I'll see if I can convince my parents to let me stay an extra day. What are you going to do if this," she raised his hand and examined the Ring, "turns out to be the Resurrection Stone? Will you bring back your parents?"

Harry shook his head, "I can't."

Hermione looked up at him with a questioning expression. "Why not?"

"They were soul bonded. Sirius told me that he had witnessed their bonding. You can't resurrect bonded pairs unless one of them is still alive." Harry answered. It was true, he had asked Sirius about it not long after he and Tom had had the discussion about the Ring and Cloak.

"Oh, you didn't mention that over the phone,."

Harry reached into the drawer on his bedside table and withdrew the journal. "It's all in here. The pages are marked as you can see." he said, indicating the ribbons that he had used as bookmarks.

Hermione opened the journal to the first mark and scanned the page, "So the Stone is from across the Veil?"

"Yup, the realm of Hades to be exact. The Latin translation is slightly misleading. 'Inferno' was used for 'Hades', 'Hades' was seen as the same thing as 'Hell'. So 'Inferno' is translated as 'Hell'. That is also not a completely accurate translation; there are two words missing: instead of 'give me the gift that is not of this world' it should be 'give me to receive the gift that is not of this world', however the two extra words seem unneeded, however I believe that they are indeed necessary. The incantation is spoken in Latin anyway so it doesn't matter, it's just a detail." Harry explained all of this as Hermione continued to read, somehow able to split her attention between both Harry and the journal.

After a few minutes she closed the journal and set it aside. "How are we going to get to Nurmengard? No one knows its exact location except Dumbledore and a few old wizards, and none of them will tell us."

"We'll use Amorak," said hound raised her head and placed it on the bed next to them. Hermione reached out and scratched her behind the ears. "You forget that Tom has been there. He'll tell us the location and Amorak should be able to get us there fairly easily."

"What time tomorrow?"

"As early as possible. I'll have to make a quick stop in Diagon Alley before we go. If this does turn out to be the Resurrection Stone then I have a plan that may gain us a very valuable ally."

Harry glanced at his watch. "It's getting late, perhaps we should turn in." Hermione nodded and pulled a shrunken trunk out of her pocket. She unshrunk it and changed into her night clothes, Harry did the same. Together they climbed into the bed, Hermione snuggled up close to Harry's side and he wrapped his arms around her. They exchanged goodnights and 'I love you's before Harry magically snuffed the lights and they drifted off into the land of dreams.

 **A/N: Sorry for keeping you so long. I just started college and in the mean time I kinda forgot this project… Switching computers, twice, might have had something to to with it too**

 **Until next time.**

 **-Patton446.**


	14. Nurmengard

Chapter 14: Nurmengard

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognizable.

A/N: Sorry for the neglect of this story but this is due to heaps of work since I started university and lack of time since an internship at sea ie. no internet of 6 months.

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

 **Patton446**

 **Chapter XIV: Nurmengard**

 **'Defeat grips you, life deflates you, killed your hopes too. You won't make it through, Pick up the pieces, There is a better way, Put yourself together, Try to make a change. This world's so twisted, You can still make a change, Protect and care for all around, Stop the spread of hate. You feel like the broken one, Over and over again You taste blood, you're through, you're done. Only you can make it end.'**

 **-Broken One by Trivium.**

Harry lay in his bed halfway between waking and sleep. He unconsciously tightened his hold on the young witch that lay peacefully slumbering next to him. He sighed as she shifted slightly, drawing closer to the warmth that his body offered. He felt that if he could, he would stay here in this moment forever. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

The calm, comfortable silence was shattered when an explosion rocked the house. Harry launched himself out of the bed, Hermione following at a slower pace, and ran out of the room, his hands already pulsing with magic. His muscles relaxed and the magic drained back into his core when he discovered what the source of the rather startling wake-up call was. Sirius was laying spread eagle in the middle of a large pile of smoking rubble just outside the kitchen, where the wall was suspiciously missing. Harry would have been worried about his well being if he wasn't laughing as he lay there. As he surveyed the damage Harry was glad that he had soundproofed the entire house so that nothing happening inside could be heard outside, if he hadn't then they would probably have had to answer some very difficult questions.

Everything fell into place when Bella stepped through the gaping hole where the wall used to be with her wand out and a smirk on her face. Harry groaned and rubbed his eyes. "What happened this time?" he ground out through his clenched teeth as he fought to control his temper. Hermione recognized the warning signs and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and began to talk softly in his ear, he visibly began to relax at her touch.

Sirius and Bella turned in their direction at the sound of his voice, both sporting startled expressions. "He/She started it!" they yelled in unison.

Harry groaned again and Hermione began trying to rub the tension out of his muscles. At the moment she was the only thing keeping him from just cursing both of them. "I didn't ask who started it. I asked what happened. So answer me, what happened?"

"Nothing, just an argument that escalated out of control," Bella said in her best innocent voice, which was very good considering who she was.

Harry just sighed and looked at Hermione. "Can I kill them? Just a little bit?" _"Yeah! AVADA KADA-"_

"No, Harry, you can't kill them. No, not even a little bit," she told him while smiling. She also repeated the words again inside their heads so Tom would quit yelling the killing curse, which he wasn't too happy about. "Now come on, let's go back to bed. These two look like they are still bonding."

"Ha! If they want to bond then they should try a kiss ( _"Ew! Inbreeding purebloods!"_ ). It worked for us. In the meantime though," he gave them a hard look, "they can clean up the mess that they made." Without waiting for a response he turned and headed back into his room, Hermione following right behind.

Harry dropped face-first onto his bed with a huff. Hermione crawled on after him and rested her head on his shoulder and continued to rub massage his still coiled muscles. "You shouldn't get so worked up over something so little, love," she said soothingly.

"I know, but I was comfortable. And I thought that we were in trouble. I know that I left no evidence of _my_ presence at the Flamels' house but Dumbledore is smart...too smart."

Hermione nodded and planted a soft kiss on his the back of his shoulder. "Yeah, I know. We just have to be careful with how we handle things for a while." she inhaled deeply and let out the breathe slowly, trying to calm herself. "Maybe we should postpone our trip to Nurmengard."

Harry shook his head. "No, it has to be soon. It has to be today. We have so little time as it is. I don't know what it is but things are changing. First that village, then a family in Berlin..." He turned over onto his back and pulled Hermione down on top of him, where she lay with her head resting on his chest. "What do you think we should do?"

"I think, that on that front, we should wait and see what happens. We can't make a move without any information, so there is no reason to try. I'm sure that everything will become clear at some point. Then we can make a decision." she answered him after thinking for a moment.

"I guess you are right. You always seem to be right." Harry turned his head and kissed her hair. Hermione smiled and lifted herself up so that she was looking him in the face.

"Of course I am, and don't you forget it." she then bent down to press her lips to his. Harry took no time in responding.

While Hermione was talking to her parents on the phone, convincing them to let her stay another night with Harry, Harry was packing up the things that they would need for their trip to Nurmengard. He opened his satchel and stuffed his invisibility cloak into it, along with his new pensieve, which had been a gift from Hermione. She said that she wasn't sure if he could make use of it but couldn't think of anything else to get him, it just sounded interesting.

It was accompanied by something that Hermione knew that he enjoyed immensely: literature. Jane Austen's _Pride and Prejudice_ and Oscar Wilde's _The Picture of Dorian Gray_ were now the latest editions to his ever-growing library, both very welcome.

The pensieve would actually be of great use for what he had in mind. _"Are you sure that this is going to work?"_

 _"Then why the hell are we doing it?"_

 _ **Because, if it does work then we will have gained a valuable ally, one with extensive knowledge of duelling as well as knowledge of how exactly Dumbledore's mind works.**_

 _"What the hell am I?"_

 _ **You know Dumbledore well enough, but Grindelwald was his best friend for years.**_

 _"True...Actually, now that I think about it: I'm glad I was never that close to him, at least he didn't want to bugger me."_

 _ **As far as you know.**_

 _"...Please don't say things like that, it's disturbing."_

Harry chuckled as he slung the bag over his shoulder and exited the room. He went into the living room, passing Hermione in the small hall outside of the kitchen, and sat in his chair, laying the bag on the floor next to him, Amorak was napping on the other side. He withdrew 'Dorian Gray' from his pocket and unshrunk it. He leaned back and crossed his legs, surveying the newly repaired wall that separated the kitchen from the room he was in. At the moment all was quiet, Bella was in her room doing who knows what and Sirius was in the kitchen reading the Daily Prophet while eating a bowl of cereal. Harry returned his ribbon bookmark to its place in between the pages of his novel and stood, setting the book down on the chair before he walked into the kitchen.

He poured himself a cup of tea and took a long sip of it. "Anything interesting in there?" he asked Sirius as he leaned against the counter.

Sirius looked up at him, "Yeah, a follow up to that murder in Berlin." Harry raised an eyebrow, signalling him to go on. "Well, the Aurors have released more information. The family was the Richter family, they are an old pureblood family, really high up on the social ladder. The Head of House Richter, Tobias Richter was a Ministry official, worked for the German Ministry's Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He was a Judge, kind of like the Head of the Wizenagmot here in Britain. Needless to say, he was a very powerful man. His children, two daughters, were thirteen and eleven. They were both going to be attending Durmstrang Academy this upcoming year."

Harry nodded, "Does it say how they were killed?"

Sirius scanned the article before nodding. "Yeah, it says that they all had the same wounds: a puncture wound in the abdomen and severed heads. The Aurors believe that the wounds were inflicted by some kind of blade, possibly a sword. No clues as to who did it though."

Harry swallowed the last of his tea. "Well, It's almost time for Hermione and me to leave. I'm trusting you and Bella to get along and take care of the house while I'm gone. Got it?"

"I got it," Sirius said easily.

"Good, don't let me down."

Harry returned to the living room to continue reading, only to find Hermione sitting in his chair petting Amorak, who had her head in Hermione's lap. His book was sitting safely on the armrest. She looked up at him as he entered and smiled. "Ready to go?"

He nodded. "So I take it your parents said 'yes'?"

"Yep! At first, they were against it but you know how stubborn I can be."

He snorted, "Stubborn doesn't even begin to cover it when you have your mind set on something."

He held his hand out and pulled her to her feet, then slung his bag over his shoulders. "Well, let's go." They both placed their hands on Amorak, Harry telling her where to go as Tom told him the location. Slowly the world around them began to fade.

Stacks of books nearly touched the high ceiling. Even more were placed on the many shelves around the room. Mixed among the books were scrolls and folders, hundreds of muggle file cabinets were lined against one wall, each magically enlarged to hold almost ten times the normal capacity. The room was illuminated by a single large torch in the centre, the flames burned blue and gave off no heat, thus they presented no risk to the valuable documents in the massive chamber.

Below the torch was a desk, at this desk sat a young man, he had chin-length sandy-blonde hair, his chin and upper lip sported a light layer of stubble. He had soft brown eyes that surveyed the world around him with cool calculations and thinly veiled disdain.

He was dressed in dark pants, a dark button-up shirt and a dark waistcoat. A long jacket hung on the back of his chair, strongly resembling that of an American Confederate soldier's. He carefully read through the memo he had just received from the Chief Warlock, Albus Dumbledore himself. It requested all documents on the Flamels and their property be brought to the Wizenagmot chambers immediately.

With a huff, he tossed the memo into his trashcan and stood. He donned his jacket and set off into the maze of stacks. It didn't take him long to find all that he was looking for, the torch didn't provide much light, not near enough to see well by, but this was no hindrance to his enhanced vision; that and he knew the room like the back of his hand. He held all of the folders and scrolls under his arm while he carried the latest document, their death certificates, in his hand,

He ascended the steps out of the Archives, which were connected to the courtrooms on level ten, and into the main floor of level nine right across from the entrance to the Department of Mysteries. He entered the lift and told the man operating it to take him up to level two, he told him that it was on direct order from the Chief Warlock, which got him there in a matter of short minutes. He may not like Dumbledore but if he could use the man's position to get his job done quicker then he would gladly exploit it.

On level two, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he quickly made his way to the Wizenagmot Chambers. The Auror positioned outside the door saw him coming and swiftly opened the door to allow him entrance. He certainly didn't like it, but his condition made others want to avoid him and avoid crossing him at all cost, it came in great handy when he needed to get somewhere fast. It didn't help that he was known to all in the Ministry, as was his condition.

"Ah, Dallas, glad to see that you could make it." came the voice of Amelia Bones, Head of the D.M.L.E. Dallas was what many of the witches and wizards at the Ministry called him, the rest called him by his last name, Scurlock. None called him David, not even his family.

"Yes ma'am, I have the documents that the Chief Warlock wanted. Here he turned to Dumbledore. "I don't really see why this is needed, the last wishes of the Flamels have been taken care of already. A pretty quick procedure since they didn't have wills or children."

Dumbledore frowned at him. "It is necessary Scurlock because I am their last surviving friend and I'm sure that they would want their estate to be given to me. Not that that is any business to one such as yourself," he said, his eyes twinkling merrily.

David snarled at him, revealing slightly sharpened canines, the only physical manifestation of his curse. "I think you will find that it is my business, as I am the Overseer of the Archives it is my duty to know any and all changes to the documents that I guard...sir," he added the last word as a sarcastic afterthought. No, he did not like Albus 'for the fucking greater good' Dumbledore at all.

An hour later found him returning to the Archives with slightly altered documents. Dumbledore had fast-talked the other members of the Wizenagmot into agreeing to sign the rights to all of the Flamels' possessions over to him. That included their land and the contents of their Gringotts Vaults. He gently laid them into their new home, alongside the wills of James Potter and the deeds of the Potter lands.

Kingsley Shacklebolt sat in his office. He held his head in his hands as he tried to fight off a growing headache. Ever since the Flamel murders he had been put in charge of organizing a team to try and discover the identity of the killer. All that they had to go on was the name left at the crime scene. Erebus. He had done research in the name and only come up with the basics of its origins. Nothing that would help them.

He lifted up the two photos that they had as their only evidence, the burnt grass at the Flamels' and the message written in blood on the wall at Malfoy Manor. Neither scenes had yielded information of use. The Malfoy case was distinctly gruesome whereas the Flamel case was clean and simple. And with only the three victims it was impossible to determine a pattern, except that so far the victims were all influential and pureblood.

It had some of the other purebloods claiming that it was a muggleborn and were trying to use it as a way to get them removed from the magical society, or at least further limit their rights.

But what was giving him the most grief was that his superiors were demanding results that he could not give. Another thing that was plaguing him was Dumbledore, and why he had been so adamant about not allowing him and his men to search the basement of the Flamel house. He wasn't stupid, he knew a compulsion charm when he felt one, and Dumbledore had definitely used one on him and his team.

There was a knock on his door. "Enter!" he called out in his deep baritone voice.

The door opened to reveal Junior Auror Tonks, a recent addition to his team, she had been assigned to gain first-hand training in a criminal investigation by Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"An owl just delivered a message to Scrimgeour and he has asked me to ask you to come to his office," she answered.

He nodded and closed the case files before heading out the door. He walked to the Head Auror's office with Tonks following a few steps behind, for all intents and purposes she was his partner in this investigation.

He knocked three times on the door to Scrimgeour's office and waited. "Enter." came the cultured voice of his superior from within. He opened the door and entered, standing in front of the man's desk, waiting to be either told to sit or why he was there. "Sit, both of you." They sat in the hard-backed chairs that were positioned in front of the desk. "Are you aware of the situation in Germany Mr Shacklebolt?"

"Only what has been released to the public sir."

"Yes, well, the German Ministry has heard of our recent troubles and also have informed us of a few unexplained killings in both Japan and Switzerland."

"I was not aware of these killings," Kingsley told him.

Scrimgeour sifted through a few files on his desk before opening three of them. "This one," he handed the file to Kingsley, "was the first. The village of Orita in Switzerland, near the border of Italy. It is located approximately thirty or so miles south of Sion. The entire village's population vanished without a trace, homes left as if they had only stepped out for a moment. And this," he handed another file to him, "Is the reports from Japan. The head Auror there is young, very young, in his early twenties or so, a man by the name of Ishida Itsuki. He, along with Luis Wagner, the Head of the German Auror force have called for a meeting with us. Since you are the Auror in charge of the 'Erebus' case I felt that you should be involved."

Kingsley nodded as he returned the files to his superior. "Very well. When will this meeting take place?"

"Two weeks from now, in Warsaw, Poland," he said. "The Polish believe that if the killings are starting in Germany then it won't be long before they spread. The Italians and French along with the Norwegians and Swiss will be joining us. Wagner believes that this could possibly be a sign of a new Dark Lord, to date, this will be the largest gathering of officials from foreign Ministries ever, outside of the Quidditch World Cup. Act appropriately. You, Ms Tonks, will accompany us. You are dismissed."

Nurmengard was a dark fortress on an island in the North Sea. One hundred and twelve miles northwest of the Frisian Isles on the coast of the Netherlands and eighty miles south of Azkaban. Harry released his hold on Amorak and motioned for the hound to go ahead in case of any magical or otherworldly dangers on the rocky island. As Amorak started forward Harry noticed something that he hadn't noticed before, Amorak was leaving prints. They looked as if they were burned into the stones at their feet, he didn't recall seeing them at Azkaban though, but perhaps that was because of the rain and black clouds that had blocked most of the light, here it was not raining. After she had gone a few steps the prints began to fade slightly, blending into the natural textures.

Hermione had stepped up next to him and was also gazing at the prints. "Curious, she doesn't leave these anywhere else. I would have noticed if they were at the house."

"I know, I didn't see them at Azkaban either."

"Curious."

They were brought out of their thoughts when a soft howl pierced the air. "Looks like she didn't find anything," Harry said. He grabbed Hermione's hand and they started forward. They reached the door and Harry noticed a symbol carved into the aged wood. There was a circle inside of a triangle with a vertical line down through the middle. _"The Hallows."_

 _ **What?**_

 _"That is the symbol of the Hallows. The circle is the Stone, the triangle is the Cloak and the line is the Wand. Gellert used it as his symbol for years, and people have come to associate it with him instead of the Hallows."_

Harry absently rubbed the locket around his neck, a habit that he had just begun to take to when he was thinking. _**Then perhaps we have come to the right place.**_ He pushed open the door and stepped in.

The interior of the structure was just as dark and forbidding as the exterior. The walls were bare and cold, no torches, or any other light source, were present to provide illumination. The air inside was thick and humid, moisture collected on the floor, walls and ceiling in each room they passed through. According to Tom, Grindelwald was locked in the topmost cell, food and fresh water were delivered three times daily from the mainland by House Elves, he never saw them and they never revealed their presence.

They ascended many sets of stairs until they came to another door marked with the symbol of the Hallows. Harry began to push it open when a voice reached his ears. It was quiet and gravely as if it hadn't been used in a long while. Harry could barely make out the words. "Götter, rette mich aus dieser Hölle."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "He is praying," Harry answered her silent question. "That was German. Come on, I think he is done." They pushed the door open the rest of the way and entered. The room was just as dark and bare as the others, except for a single torch burning on the far wall, it cast a small circle of light and caused the shadows around the room to dance eerily. Against the far wall below the torch was an old ratty bedroll and a threadbare blanket.

In the centre of the room was a small table with a single chair, in this chair sat an old man, bowed over a small plate of what appeared to be a slice of bread, a small cut of beef and a piece of lettuce. He was eating quickly as if he were afraid that it would vanish at any minute. He ignored the cup of water next to the plate and focused solely on the food. He had barely finished the beef and half of the bread and half of the lettuce when it disappeared, leaving only the water on the table.

The man looked sadly at the spot where the food had just been, Harry was scared for a moment that he was going to cry, but he shook his head and let out a shaky sigh as his eyes cleared. He quickly drank down the water and watched as the cup too vanished.

Harry cleared his throat and the man jumped up from the chair with speed and agility that belied his frail state. "Who are you? What do you want?" he asked in slightly accented English.

"Gellert Grindelwald?" Harry asked him.

The man nodded. "Ja, that is my name. Who is asking?"

Harry stepped forward into the light of the torch, Hermione followed. "My name is Erebus, and this is my wife, Nyx. We have matters that we wish to discuss with you." Hermione nodded at Harry's words, silently happy with her new name.

Grindelwald seemed to relax slightly when he realized that the two people standing before him were but children. He made to return to his chair when Harry held up his hand in a 'stop' motion. "Allow me." He waved his hand and two soft comfortable chairs appeared and the hard wooden one changed to match. Grindelwald stared in shock at the display of wandless magic. He sat in the chair and sighed in contentment.

"Not many can use wandless magic, and none so young. Impressive."

"I've been practising for years now. Since I was eight." Harry said. "But, that is not the reason we are here."

"And, what are you here for?"

"I need to know more about the Deathly Hallows."

Grindelwald looked at him, his eyes searching for a motive. "And why would you want to know of those cursed things, Erebus?"

"Because I believe that I have found two of them, but I need your expert knowledge to know for sure. I have been told that you can read auras, so I'm guessing that since you previously owned the Elder Wand you would recognize one of the Hallows, yes?"

"I could, but," he held up his wrists to show two metal bands inscribed with runes, "now I can't. Not with these on. Albus made them in order to suppress my magic."

Hermione stood and circled the table to examine the bands. She began to mutter to herself as she examined the runes. "Love, come here." Harry came over to her and leaned in, Grindelwald looked on in interest. "If we tried to remove these with magic it won't work, the runes will absorb it and strengthen the bands. But, if we can remove this rune here the band will cease to work." Harry nodded and looked up at Grindelwald.

"I can remove these, but how do I know that you won't turn on us?" He asked.

"What reason do I have to turn on you? It's not as if I could escape here on my own in the state that I'm in." Grindelwald answered.

"Can't argue with that logic. OK." he held his hand up and his favoured dagger appeared in it. He quickly struck a line through the rune and immediately felt the effects drain from the band, he then repeated the process on the other. Grindelwald sighed as he felt his magic return to him.

Harry and Hermione returned to their own seats, Harry not returning the dagger to its hiding place and keeping it in plain sight. The warning was clear: try anything and I'll cut your throat. "Really Mr Grindlewald, I can't continue this conversation with you as a loose end, a liability. So, I'll need you to swear an oath."

"What kind of oath?"

"Fealty."

Grindelwald considered this request. "And if I refuse?"

"You die."

He surprised Harry by laughing. "I have wished to die for many years now boy. I welcome it."

"And why is that?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.

Grindelwald's expression darkened. "Ariana," he said it in a whisper, so soft that Harry almost didn't catch it. "I killed her."

"Did Dumbledore tell you that?" he nodded. "Hmm, let's find out then shall we?" Grindelwald looked confused until Harry withdrew his pensieve from his bag and set it on the table. He then drew his wand. "May I?" At the old man's nod, he stepped forward and placed the tip of the wand to his head. "Concentrate on the memory of her death." He slowly pulled the memory strand from Grindlewald's mind and dropped it into the pensieve. As one they all entered the memory and watched the action play out before their eyes.

He watched as the man he recognized as the young Gellert Grindelwald from Tom's memories fought against the two Dumbledore brothers. Curses were flying in all directions, some colliding in the air and others harmlessly hitting the ground or trees. Those that were on target were easily dodged or deflected.

Harry moved them to a spot where they could clearly see every spell cast and who had cast it. On cue, a young woman with flowing blonde hair came running out of the house outside which they were fighting. She was yelling for them to stop and ran into the middle of them, as she did Harry saw Albus smirk and cast an unknown hex in the general direction of Gellert, unfortunately, Ariana stepped into its path and it connected with her and she began to fall. A split second after a red beam hit her already dead form, fired from Gellert's wand.

He stared horror-stricken at her and tried to move to her, but he was stopped as Aberforth became enraged and started hurling rapid curses at him, forcing Gellert to flee. As the memory ended they all caught Albus' expression, his face showed grief but his eyes displayed a sense of triumph.

They exited the memory, Hermione fighting tears and Harry battling his temper. _"I told you."_

 _ **Yes, you did. But seeing in there and seeing it your memory was completely different. It was clearer.**_

For his part Grindlewald was thinking, the revelation that he hadn't been the one to kill Ariana had rekindled the fire in his eyes. Harry felt that now was the time to push his luck. "We are waging a war against Dumbledore, it is slow moving and done mostly from the shadows, but if you wish to help, we would welcome you."

Grindelwald looked up at him. "On one condition. Albus is mine to kill."

"I can't promise that. You aren't the only one here who has been wronged by him. We all want his blood. All I can guarantee is that he will be killed."

Grindelwald nodded his grudging acceptance of that. "OK. I'm in."

"Good." He withdrew his other wand and gave to him. "Speak the oath. My name is Harry Potter, and I request that you now swear an oath of fealty to me."

"I, Gellert Grindelwald, do hereby swear on my life and magic to loyally serve Harry Potter until my services are no longer needed or wanted and to never betray him. So mote it be." There was a flash of white light as the oath was accepted.

"Thank you. Here," he set the rune-box on the table and sliced his finger. He pulled out a vial of Elixir, "Drink this, it should be enough."

Grindelwald looked at it before shrugging and drinking the entire contents of the vial, which was about four and a half goblet worth of Elixir. Harry and Hermione watched fascinated as Gellert was returned to the age of around eighteen. Gellert himself was in shock at the effects of the potion he had just drunk. "Mein Gott! What was that?"

His question snapped Harry out of his stupor. "Oh, that was the Elixir of Life. Courtesy of the Flamels." Harry pulled out his cloak, "Now, I need you to-" he was cut off by a loud howl piercing the air, a warning from Amorak. "Shit, we've got company."

Albus Dumbledore stood outside of the fortress of Nurmengard. He was the only one who could apparate to the island, after all, he was the one to recast the wards so that Gellert couldn't escape. He had decided that he would pay his old friend a visit, maybe offer him the chance to join him, he could use the promise of the Elixir of Life as a bargaining chip. Yes, that would work.

He easily made his way to the top of the prison, not hearing the howl that cut the air. When he reached the top cell he entered. What he found shocked him. On the floor was the body of his old friend. Grindelwald's face was purple and his lips had begun to turn blue, his fingers were frozen in a position that suggested that he was clutching at his throat. On the table was a puddle of water, he must have spilt it. Albus quickly surmised that he had choked while trying to eat as much of his lunch as he could before it was taken away by the House Elves.

He smiled sadly down at the corpse. "Oh well, perhaps it is for the best. Yes, for the greater good." he flicked his wand and the corpse burst into flames. Dumbledore apparated back to his office at Hogwarts to continue planning for the upcoming year. Checking his list for students that he could keep an eye on and possibly kidnap for the ritual. He put a small mark next to the name Luna Lovegood before moving on.

Harry, Hermione and Gellert appeared safely in the living room of Number four, each holding on to Amorak. Gellert surveyed his surroundings. _"You know Harry, we are really going to need a bigger house. Otherwise, we are never going to fit everyone in comfortably."_

 _ **The Dursleys don't need to be comfortable.**_

 _"True but I wouldn't make anyone sleep in those beds after they have. Who knows what they've done on those beds."_

 _ **Are you trying to make me sick?**_

 _"My question is how the hell they could do it?"_

 _ **Tom. Please shut up.**_

 _"I mean, have you seen how big your uncle is? They probably wouldn't even be able to find his-"_

 _ **Tom. Stop! Please!**_

 _ **I agree. That is just disturbing.**_

 _"All, I'm trying to say is this: are you sure that Dudley is Vernon's?"_

 _ **Yes, I'm quite sure.**_

 _"How?"_

 _ **The resemblance.**_

 _"Oh...yeah. Harry, two whales have infiltrated the human race!"_

 _ **Shut up, Tom.**_

 _"But what if they eat us?"_

 _ **Just stay out of the way of their forks and you'll be fine.**_

 _ **Harry.**_

 _Yeah?_

 _ **Why not just move Dudley's stuff out of his room, bed and all, then put in a new bed for Gellert. You put Dudley in with his parents.**_

 _"Good idea, but that room ain't big enough for the three of them."_

 _ **Are you a wizard or not?**_

 _"Yes."_

 _ **Then we enlarge it.**_

 _ **Exactly.**_

 _"Oh...I knew that."_

Harry quickly lead them all into the kitchen and began to boil a pot of water for tea, and ordered his aunt, who was washing the breakfast dishes, to start making lunch. Hermione had taken that chance to show Gellert the Cloak. "The aura is similar to that of the wand, the grey mist around the edges is the same. You said that you have two of them?"

Harry returned to the table carrying three cups of steaming tea. "Yes, this one and this," he held out the hand that was bearing the Ring. "If they are the same then this means that this is the Resurrection Stone."

Gellert launched himself from his chair and grabbed Harry's hand, the suddenness of the movement had Both Harry and Hermione going for their wands. "This...this is..." he looked up at Harry, his face showing desperation. "I looked all over for this...for years. Ho-how did you find it?"

"It was in a cottage near Little Hangleton," Harry told him as he returned his wand to its holster.

"Little Hangleton? I never thought to check a muggle village." Gellert said.

If you hadn't noticed, we are in a muggle neighbourhood. Muggle areas are the best places to hide from wizards. They never think of them as important enough. They think that anyone they are after would stick to magical communities where any magic they use would blend in with those around them. But we're smarter than that. Untraceable wands, muggles all around. Anti-Apparation wards, Anti-Portkey wards, early warning wards. The whole nine yards."

Hermione's eyes were wide. "How come I don't have an untraceable wand?"

Harry looked shocked for a moment. "You don't do you? Okay then, looks like a trip to Knockturn Alley is in order." He looked over to his aunt to find that she was just finishing the lunch. "After we eat."

They were joined by Harry's uncle and cousin, but two of the occupants of the house were still absent. _"Where's Bella?"_

 _ **More than likely up in her room.**_

 _"And Sirius?"_

 _ **Probably unconscious somewhere.**_

 _"Oh, OK."_

 _ **Maybe someone should go get them**._

 _Yeah. I'll do it._

He stood up from the table and his relatives stopped eating. "Carry on," he said as he left the room. He started up the stairs and could already hear Bella's high pitched shriek, but he couldn't make out the words. Harry didn't care what they were arguing about him just that they would get along already. Without preamble, he kicked the door open and stepped inside.

Bella had Sirius pressed up against the wall with her wand to his throat, in return Sirius' wand was pointed at the side of her head. At the sound of the door being kicked open both of their heads snapped in Harry's direction. "Okay, seriously, this is getting ridiculous. Can you two not go for five minutes without trying to kill each other? No, forget it. Just get your asses downstairs for lunch." Neither moved. "NOW!" he yelled, drawing his wand.

The sight of the wand snapped them into action and they quickly headed out the door and down the stairs. Harry followed at a more sedated pace.

The trip to Knockturn Alley went fairly well. It didn't take long for Hermione and Gellert to find wands that 'chose' them, strangely Hermione's was almost the same as Harry's. After that, they had set out to buy Gellert a full wardrobe, and as he was still dressed in the rags, they had Sirius lend him an outfit for the trip. It was never hard to purchase clothes from Knockturn Alley, there were only two colours to choose from, black and dark grey, so you just had to find the right size, even then you could use magic to make it fit better.

Harry had taken Hermione's advise and enlarged his aunt and uncles room, then moved Dudley and everything he owned into it with them. Dudley's old room was thoroughly cleaned and then he added a new bed, a dresser and added a bathroom. After living in a cell with no change of clothes and only a thin mat to sleep on Gellert would have been happy with the couch, thus he was slightly overwhelmed by Harry's generosity.

 **A/N: sorry for the long wait. I have been preoccupied with university and internships at sea.**

 **As always: let me know what you think, No Flames, but feel free to point out mistakes or let me know if I need to improve on something. I love reviews and PMs.**

 **Hermione's Dark Lady Name: In mythology, Nyx was the wife of Erebus, so it just seemed right.**

 **Until next time.**

 **Patton446**


	15. Useless and Unnecessary

**15: Useless and Unnecessary**

 **D** isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognisable.  
A/N: Greetings! Here's the new chapter. I plan on updating almost daily for the next week or so (06/11/2017).

Warning: Hermione is a bit...darker in this chapter.

 **Dawn of a Golden Age**

 **Patton446**

 **Chapter: XV: Useless and Unnecessary**

 **'You asked me, was it all I had to tell? Was it all I could recall? No! Then I broke her neck, her twisted china-white facade. I may seem unaffected but don't we all want to be God?'**

 **\- The Zodiac by Kamelot**

Harry took a small sip of his tea before opening the morning Prophet. His aunt was busy cooking breakfast and Bella was hovering near her, trying to act indifferent but Harry could tell that she was intrigued by the way that muggles made food, considering she had been provided for by House Elves for her whole life this was a new experience for her.

Hermione was sitting next to him with her own cup of tea and one of the books from his small library. Harry scanned through the paper, checking for any information that was relevant...and not written by Rita Skeeter, preferably. When he found nothing of interest he folded the paper up and set it in the centre of the table for others to read if they wished. At that moment Gellert entered the kitchen wearing a set of fitted black robes; the pants fit snug around his legs so as to allow freedom of movement and the overcoat did the same to his torso. Seeing this Harry was struck at how thin Gellert was. While he himself was thin, his frame was still toned. He needed to start getting his lieutenants into fighting shape, but first, he needed to assess how much work he had ahead of him on that front.

He stood and drained the last of his tea. "I'll be back in a moment," he told Hermione as he walked passed her and into the living room. He looked around at the layout: two couches, his chair, a low table between them, the television and a few shelves that held pictures and other breakable objects. _"What are you thinking Harry?"_

 _ **I'm thinking, that since this is Hermione's last day here we should have some fun.**_

 _"A little early in the relationship to be doing that kind of stuff aren't you? Your only twelve!"_

 _ **Tom, get your mind out of the gutter.**_

 _My mind's not in the gutter! The gutter's in my mind. There's a difference."_

 _ **Not really.**_

 _"Anyway, what do you mean by 'fun'?"_

 _ **Free for all.**_

 _"Uh...do you mean as in fighting?"_

 _ **Yep.**_

 _"Finally! I get to kill someone!"_

 _ **No, you don't.**_

 _"Why not?"_

 _ **Because we are going to be fighting our friends.**_

 _"Oh...Damn! So is this really just for fun or do you have some ulterior motive?"_

 _ **Well, three of our followers have been in prison for years. There is no way that they are in proper fighting shape.**_

 _"I see your point."_

 _ **And while Hermione and I have the boosts from the rituals we are still in need of training and experience in a battle situation.**_

 _"I see, well, what are we waiting for? Let's kick some ass!"_

After breakfast, Harry had called all of the magic users in the house to the living room. He circled around the room putting up wards to stop any spells from leaving the room they were in, and anyone from escaping; they were similar to duelling shields. "OK, here what we are doing: Three of you have been imprisoned for a long time, some longer than others." here he looked at Gellert. "Because of this your reflexes and endurance have severely decreased, your overall physique has deteriorated. Because of this, we will begin training so as to get you guys back into shape. Today, we are going to see exactly how far gone you all are. Any questions?"

Sirius spoke up. "Perhaps we should set ground rules so that no one gets hurt too badly, and so we don't kill each other," he said while trying to subtly point at Bellatrix.

"Of course, anything goes." Sirius began to protest. "Except, spells that have the capability to severely harm or kill. No cutting hex, no bludgeoning hex, no Unforgivables, except the Cruciatus in small doses. Is that clear enough? Good, let us begin."

They all sat there for a second, each watching the others until surprisingly Hermione drew her wand and cast a Knockback Jinx at Bellatrix; Harry could tell that she was holding back her true speed and power so he decided to do the same. As soon as she began to move everyone sprung into action. Harry shot a stunner at Sirius who barely managed to dodge it while casting a stinging hex at Gellert. The hex was expertly deflected and countered with a _Reducto._ Obviously, his time in Nurmengard hadn't taken away his skill or grace as a duelist.

Harry dove behind one of the couches and began to fire spells at Gellert from behind his cover. Sirius saw this as an opportunity to eliminate a fighter and also started casting at Gellert. Gellert proved why he was one of the only wizards alive who could say that they had out-duelled Albus Dumbledore. He was rapidly blocking and casting spells, both with and without his wand. But Harry could tell that his lack of physical activity was taking its toll, he was tiring fast. All around them debris was flying about, pieces of wood and glass from spells missing their mark and striking the shelves and other decorative objects.

On the other side of the room, Hermione and Bellatrix were locked in a fierce battle of wills. Neither was gaining any ground nor were they relinquishing any. They were at a standstill. Hermione shot a stunner at Bella, who batted it aside. "What? Is that all you've got, little girl?" Bella mocked her, seeming confident but her breathing was heavy and her movements were becoming sluggish.

Hermione growled and fired off three stunners in rapid succession. Bella managed to dodge them all and fire one of her own. Hermione dropped to her knees to avoid the spell and was surprised when another, different, spell hit her and knocked her onto her back, her wand falling away out of her reach. "Aw, pity. Harry talks so highly of you, I was expecting more." Bella said as she stalked closer to her fallen foe.

Hermione glared defiantly up at her. "I'm not done yet!" She thrust her hand out in front of her and a wave of magic exploded out from her palm causing Bellatrix to let out a surprised scream as she flew into the wall behind her, Hermione quickly scrambled to her feet and grabbed her wand. Bellatrix was pulling herself to her feet, blood running out of her nose as she snarled.

"So the ickle girl wants to play rough huh? _CRUCIO!"_

Hermione tried to dodge to the side but her foot snagged on a piece of what had been a table and she stumbled. She screamed when the curse hit her, crumbling to the floor as her body began to convulse from the pain ripping through it. Bellatrix cackled madly as she held the young girl under the curse.

Harry saw Sirius fall to a stunner from Gellert. He was raising his wand to continue the fight when Hermione's scream cut through the air. He looked over to where she had been fighting Bella to find her suffering under the Cruciatus. Without hesitation, he turned his wand on the dark-haired woman and fired a barrage of stunners at her. Four of the red beams of light struck her with enough force to knock her into the wall where she smashed a lamp that was fixed to it before she fell to the floor in a heap.

Harry jumped over the couch that he had been using for cover and ran over to where Hermione was lying curled up on the floor. "Hermione!" he slid to his knees next to her and began to check her over. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

She nodded her head. "Yeah...it just hurt more than I expected." Harry looked over his shoulder at Gellert, who had followed him over when he saw what had happened.

"Get her out of here," he said, pointing at Bellatrix.

Gellert made to do as he was told when Hermione's voice stopped him. "No, I'm not done with her yet." the young man looked to Harry for clarification on what he was supposed to do, he had just received conflicting orders from his leaders. Harry nodded and helped Hermione to her feet. He tried to lead her to his chair, which was miraculously untouched, but she shrugged off his hands that were lending support to her still shaking form and started toward Bella.

She picked up her wand and enervated the former Death Eater. "Would you like to see how it feels when you use that spell properly Bella? Do you want to feel real pain?" she practically growled with her wand pointed at the older woman, setting off warning signals in Harry's head. _"Should we stop her?"_

 _ **No, let's see how this plays out. See if she has what it takes.**_ Inside Harry's head, Tom was nodding and watching the scene unfold with keen interest.

Bella laughed. "What? You honestly think you could hurt me? Go ahead and give it your best shot little mudblood. I welcome the pain."

Hermione looked at her for a moment, her shaking preventing her from keeping her aim steady, before lowering her wand and returning it to its holster and leaving the room for the kitchen, Harry collapsed the wards preventing exit. _"No! Hermione, you're supposed to Crucio that bitch! Like this: Crucio! Damn, forgot I can't do that. You know, being stuck in your head sucks. Hermione! Get back in here and Crucio the bitch!"_ Bella had a triumphant look on her face.

She began to laugh again. "Looks like she doesn't have what it takes after all." The smile slipped off her face however when Hermione returned from the kitchen with a long, deadly-looking knife in hand. Harry's eyes widened slightly at the sight; Tom was reduced to a state not unlike a giddy schoolgirl, practically bouncing in excitement.

"We'll see how much you're laughing when I cut your lungs out," she said in a light tone and smiled at Bella. Then she shook her head and her expression turned thoughtful, though the smile never left her lips. "No, we want you to live so how about I just carve up that pretty little face? Like a Jack O'Lantern." She stalked toward Bella, much like a predator stalking a wounded deer.

"Hermione, Love, don't hurt her too much. We need her." Harry told her in an indifferent tone, though the warning was clear in his words.

"Oh, don't worry, she'll live. She'll just hurt for a little while." As soon as she said this she swiftly kicked Bella in the face then plunged the knife into the flesh of her thigh. Bella bit back a shriek and Hermione pulled the blade out before plunging it back in.

Harry stood transfixed as Hermione tortured Bellatrix; over the months since their bonding she had begun to show a gradual shift in personality, nothing major just minor changes. She was no longer put off by the thought of killing, she was more and more interested in the Dark Arts and torture methods. He found that he was proud of her.

Hermione withdrew the knife from its new spot where she had stabbed it into Bella's shoulder. "You say you like pain? Well then, let's see how much you can take." With both hands, she slammed the knife down into Bella's thigh, right over the bone. There was a sickening crack as both the blade and bone broke from the force of the blow, the pieces staying stuck inside. This time she wasn't able to hold it back; she let out an agonised scream that sent chills down the spines of all present.

Hermione tossed the handle of the knife aside and stood, drawing her wand again. She pointed it at Bella and, without saying a word, forced her to stand. "Let's go for a walk shall we?" Not waiting for a reply she made Bellatrix walk up the stairs to her room, the broken blade digging into her muscles with every step she took. Hermione looked thoughtful for a second. "Perhaps someone should go and fix up those wounds. Can't have her developing a limp now can we?"

Harry chuckled. "No, no we can't. Gellert, do you think you could take care of it?" he asked the now young German man.

Gellert nodded. "Ja, I think I can do it. I had some healer training back when I was young. Wasn't much but it should be good enough. Mein Gott, that was...scary."

"Good, get to it then."

Gellert followed Bella's path up the stairs, which wasn't hard considering the trail of blood that she had left in her wake. Sirius, whom no one had noticed standing off to the side, having woken up during Hermione's torture time, took that time to break the silence that had descended upon them. "Well, that was fun huh?"

Harry smirked. "Fun indeed." He turned to Hermione, who had her thinking face on. _**What are you thinking Love?"**_

 _ **I'm just surprised is all. That I would do that to someone...I don't feel bad about it though. Is that normal?**_

 _ **I wouldn't say 'normal', but there is nothing wrong with it, really. Bella was out of line and needed to be taught her place. And you did that. Very well I might add. You made me proud.**_

 _"Yeah! Me too! Best damn entertainment I've had in a long time. All that was missing was the popcorn and it would have been perfect."_

 _ **Thanks, Tom.**_

 _"No problem. You know, Harry, we need to bring her along more often"_

 _ **I agree. And before you ask Tom, yes we are keeping her.**_

 _"YES!"_

Hermione laughed at this as he led her back into the kitchen. Harry's relatives, minus his uncle who was at work, where pressed up against the back wall as far away from the living room as possible. "Party's over. You can quit cowering now." They quickly straightened up and tried to act normal...and failed miserably, they kept casting fearful glances at Hermione. Harry looked her and understanding came to him, she was covered in Bella's blood. He waved his hand and the blood vanished as if it had never been there.

Harry made them all some tea and downed his in one go. Hermione drank hers slowly as the warmth helped her body to relax and cease its shaking. Harry glanced back into the living room. "Damn, we trashed the place. Looks like I'm going to be busy for a little while."

Hermione smiled and looked at her watch. "Dammit. I have to leave in a few minutes." Harry looked at his own watch.

"Yeah," Harry reluctantly agreed. "we had better get all of your stuff together. I'll walk with you down to the park to call the Knight Bus."

They went into Harry's room and began to gather the few possessions of hers that were laying out in the room. A book here, a shirt there, her toothbrush and hairbrush from Harry's bathroom. Once everything was back in her trunk she shrunk it and put it in her pocket.

They walked to the park hand in hand, walking slowly so as to prolong the time that they had left together until she left. They talked of mundane things until they arrived at the back end of the park where Harry held out his wand to signal the bus. "I'll call you to set up a date to go to Diagon Alley for our supplies, okay?" Hermione said while they waited.

"Yeah, okay." There was a loud bang as the Knight Bus appeared before them. "Tell your parents 'hi' for me."

"OK."

He pulled her close and planted a soft kiss on her mouth. "Take care." She smiled up at him and turned to board the Bus. She waved at him through the window, then with a second gunshot-like sound the Bus disappeared.

 **XXXX Two Weeks Later.**

Kingsley gathered up the files that were piled on his desk and sorted them out. He was interrupted by a knock on his office door. "Come in," he called out to whoever was on the other side.

The door opened to reveal Nymphadora Tonks, his trainee. "Scrimgeour says that it's time to go," she said. He nodded and picked up three files from the stacks. The first marked Switzerland, the second marked Berlin and the last marked Erebus.

"Okay, let's go." He locked his office and hurried to where his superior was waiting. Scrimgeour was standing in the Atrium, waiting slightly impatiently, when they arrived.

"So nice of you to join me. Now, we may proceed." He picked up a handful of Floo powder and tossed it into the fireplace that he was standing next to. "Poland, Ministry of Magic," he said as he stepped through the green flames. Kingsley and Tonks followed right behind him. They stepped out of the fireplace into a room that was similar to the Atrium that they had just left, only everything was made of white marble instead of the dark stone that made up the British Ministry's interior.

They were met by a short balding man named Bernard Krol, an Auror and assistant to the Head of the D.M.L.E. in Poland. He led them to a lift that took them down to the lowest level of the building. From there they were shown into a large conference room, where it appeared that they were one of the last to arrive. The man led them around the room, introducing the other officials that were present. "Mr Scrimgeour, this is Dylan Gantert, Head Auror of Switzerland," he said, gesturing to a well-built man in his mid-forties with mousy brown hair.

Next, they were introduced to a tall man in his late thirties, he had long gold-blonde hair and a beard. "This is Erik Olafson, of Norway."

After him came a short dark-haired man. "Armando Moretti, of the Italian Auror force." Bernard introduced. They exchanged a few pleasantries before moving on.

"Luis Wagner, one of the men who are responsible for bringing us all together here today." Wagner was a man of average size with a shaved head and hard grey eyes.

"Pleasure," Scrimgeour said as he shook the man's hand.

"Likewise," Wagner replied in a low scratchy voice. He didn't seem to be a man who liked to waste time with pleasantries.

"Jean-Luc Rousseau. Head of the French Auror force." Krol said while they all shook hands. Jean-Luc was a tall thin man with greying brown hair and a goatee.

They were approached by a young Asian man dressed in black leather in a muggle-style, from his coat to his combat books. Chains hung from his belt along with a sword in a black sheath. His shoulder-length red-blonde hair covered half of his face. "Ah, young Ishida Itsuki. Head of Japan's Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Youngest in over three hundred years."

Scrimgeour stuck his hand out to shake the man's hand but was met with a bow. "Greeting Mr Scrimgeour, it is an honour to meet you," he said in thickly accented English, he was obviously not used to speaking the language on a regular basis.

Scrimgeour was shell-shocked for a second before coming to his senses and bowing back, Tonks and Kingsley following suit. "The honour is mine Mr Ishida." he returned.

Pleasantries complete Itsuki began to walk away. "Let's hope that we have not all been brought here for nought," he called over his shoulder as he did so.

Kingsley was wondering about that statement when Krol's voice brought him back to the present. "And this, is our host, Albert Gorski. Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." Gorski was a large man, built like a bull, he had an intimidating presence. Yet one could tell from the lines on his face that he smiled a lot.

"Hello, Mr Scrimgeour. I'm so glad that you could make it." he looked around the room. "That's everyone, Bernard. We can begin."

In the middle of the room was a table in the shape of a half-circle, in the centre of that was a projector and a pull-down screen. Everyone took their seats while Gorski stood in the centre. At each seat was a glass of water and a copy of the case files, and a lamp. The lights in the room dimmed and Gorski tapped the projector with his wand. The first image that was brought up was the first Erebus scene. "This is the first in our series of murders. This happened on Christmas Eve 1991 in England. The location was in the third bedroom on the third floor of Malfoy Manor. The person in the picture is Draco Malfoy, eleven years old, Pureblood, a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Slytherin House. He was described by his parents as an intelligent and respectful boy. However, the statements of his classmates paint a different picture." He picked up a file from his section of the table and returned to the projector. "His classmates described him as, I quote, 'an arrogant prick with no regard for the feelings of others'. Now, he was known to bully quite a few other students during his short time at Hogwarts. There we have a motive. Someone was bullied by him and decided that they had had enough.

"But, this seems too precise and vicious to have been done by a child. The method of the murder was an old execution method called the Blood Eagle. Used mainly in the Medieval and Dark Ages. This suggests that the killer knows at least some about this time period."

Wagner spoke up. "You said that Mr Malfoy was a pureblood? Now, from what I know of Pureblood families, particularly in Britain, is that they despise muggleborn witches and wizards. Even going so far as to call them 'mudbloods'. The time period that this method originates from is taught as early as age nine or ten in muggle schools. Is there a possibility that the killer could be muggleborn?"

"You make a valid point," Moretti said, "but we are not looking at this as a whole. How could a child possibly enter a warded pureblood home and carry out a murder without being detected?" there was muttering all around as the others thought about this. "Another point of interest is the message on the wall. Tell us more about that."

Scrimgeour stood up. "The message was written in young Mr Malfoy's blood, it is a bit hard to read on the picture so I will tell you what it says. It reads: Erebus has claimed his soul, and the Fields of Punishment shall be his home, from here to eternity."

Moretti took the floor again. "This name is familiar to me. Erebus was the Greek god of darkness. The word Erebus means 'darkness' or 'deep shadow'. The person who wrote this had to have at least some working knowledge of Greek mythology, which is not taught in the magical world."

"You are right, but it is taught in muggle schools," Rousseau added in.

"So, it must have been a muggleborn," Scrimgeour stated.

"Not necessarily." Ishida's voice cut through the debate. "You forget that there are also half-bloods. Many half-bloods grow up with a foot in each world. They could easily learn this information just as a muggleborn could."

There were murmurs of agreement to this statement. Gorski tapped the projector again and it turned to the next picture. "This, this is the second of the Erebus murders. The victims: Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel, known for their extensive work in alchemy and for the creation of the only known Philosopher's Stone. Here to shed some light on this case is Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt of the British Department of Magical Law enforcement. Mr Shacklebolt."

Kingsley stood up with file in hand. "There really isn't much to say about this crime scene. The location is the Flamel Manor house two miles from Ottery St. Carroll, in Devon. The estate is surrounded by a stone wall that is approximately twenty feet or about seven meters in height. The only way in or out of this wall is through a large double door gate that was made of two feet of strong pine."

"You said 'was'?" Olafson asked.

"Whoever did this blasted it to pieces," Kingsley told him. "As far as we can tell, the only wards on the property was a concealing ward meant to hide the house from outside view, once you get past the ward the entire area is plain to see. When the Flamels died the ward collapsed, indicating that it was not anchored to the property, thus allowing the smoke from the fire that destroyed the home to be seen in the nearby town. When we arrived on the scene there was nothing left to save; the house had been burned down to the foundation. On the ground a few yards away was this." he pointed to the picture on the screen showing the word Erebus burned into the grass. "The identity of this Erebus is still unknown. No evidence was found at the scene, no magical signature and no physical indication. In short: we have nothing." at these words he dropped his files back onto the stack at his seat before sitting.

"This case is very similar to ours, except for the Erebus messages. An entire village vanished without a trace. We sent in Aurors to investigate and came up with nothing." Gantert spoke up for the first time since the meeting had begun. Gorski tapped the projector and it rotated to show a photo of an empty village, shifting to different angles and different areas. "Houses, left as if the inhabitants had just stepped out for a moment; food still on the tables, meals half eaten, books laid aside still open. And no signs of where everyone had gone. No evidence to speak of."

Wagner looked thoughtful. "I can't think of any creature or magic that could do this. As far as we know this is in no way associated with Erebus, correct?"

Nods all around.

"This sounds like something out of a horror story," Tonks said, speaking more to herself than to the officials gathered in the room. They all looked at her, some in confusion others simply questioning.

"Well, let's hope that this doesn't end like most horror stories Ms Tonks," Ishida said. "At least not like a muggle one anyway."

Gorski cleared his throat and tapped the projector again this time showing a man, woman and two children laying on their stomachs with their hands tied behind their backs. Each one was missing their heads. The heads themselves were just laying there, left where they had fallen. "Berlin, Germany. Just outside of Berlin actually. Mr Wagner, I believe this is your case. Would you care to present it?"

Wagner stood up and walked around the table to stand next to the projector. "Okay, as Mr Gorski said: this happened just outside of Berlin at the home of Tobias Richter and his family. The Richters are known as an upstanding pureblood family, a Most Noble and Ancient House, Tobias was a Judge in our Department of Magical Law Enforcement, his wife was a stay-at-home wife and his children were students of Durmstrang. As with the other cases presented today, there was no evidence of who did this or why. But we do have a how, as is obvious by the picture." he paused for a moment. "If you look at the files in front of you, you will find up-close images of the wounds inflicted on the bodies as well as the analysis information." he opened a file and began to read, everyone else following along in the papers provided. "Each victim had a puncture wound in their abdominal area, the wounds were six inches deep and just under two centimetres wide. The incisions were made with a bladed weapon of some type, a knife, or sword perhaps." here he glanced at Ishida's sword which was lying on the table next to him. No one missed this glance.

"True, a sword could produce such a wound." he stood and drew the katana from its sheath. "A blade such as this could but there are two problems with that assumption. First, it would take control to only stab the blade in that distance, and according to the files all of the wounds are the same; second, the slight curve of the blade would be present in the wound and this says that they were clean and straight. Perhaps a dagger or long sword could do this." he returned the blade to its sheath and sat back down.

"Why are you carrying a sword around anyway?" asked Scrimgeour. "Such muggle weapons are not as efficient as a wand."

Ishida smirked. "I carry a sword because I am a warrior. Muggles have passed laws forbidding the right to carry them but in the wizarding world, it is still very common. As for them being less efficient compared to a wand, tell that to those bodies." he said pointing to the photo on the screen.

Scrimgeour frowned at the young Asian seemingly heartless comment and started jumping to conclusions. "Have you ever been to Berlin Mr Ishida?"

Itsuki leant back in his chair. "Not recently, I think the last time I was in Germany was...oh...three years ago. Just before I returned to Japan to become an Auror."

"So you haven't been there once during those three years?"

"Are you accusing me of something Mr Scrimgeour?"

"Have you done something that warrants an accusation?"

"No. But you should know that I consider your words an insult to my honour, and were we not in the presence of such distinguished gentlemen I would duel you. As it is, that will have to wait until after this entire situation is wrapped up before I can do so."

A heavy silence fell upon the room and all of its occupants as Scrimgeour and the young Ishida glared at each other from opposite sides of the table. The silence was broken only a soft thumping sound, it continued in a steady rhythm as Itsuki tapped his foot, the sound of his heavy combat boots resonating throughout the stone chamber. Tonks couldn't stand it anymore. "Let's carry on shall we."

Two hours later, after uselessly going over the details again, the meeting was over and they were heading home. Each of the representatives had agreed to collaborate with each other with the cases and to freely give each other any information that they had on the murders and any new ones that occurred. Scrimgeour was still angry from his confrontation with Ishida and dismissed them without comment when they returned to Britain.

"I don't see what he is so upset about," Tonks said to Kingsley as they headed back to his office.

"Well, think about it. He was practically accusing that man of being involved in the murders. Just because he carried a sword with him and knew about the type of wounds it would inflict compared to other types of swords. It would also look suspicious considering that he was one of the ones to suggest the meeting right after the details of the killing was made public. I think Scrimgeour could have gone about it differently but in a situation like this you can't rule out anyone. No matter how young or politically powerful they are."

"So do you think that Ishida could have been involved?" she asked.

"It is unlikely," Kingsley answered.

"But never rule out the possibility. Right?"

"Right."

Harry entered Flourish and Blotts and immediately made his way to the section near the back which housed the few books on rituals that were available. After scanning the titles that he found and discovering nothing of interest he pulled out his school supply list. "Voyages with Vampires? Year of the Yeti? Magical Me? Who the hell is this Lockhart guy? And why so many books by him?" he asked himself aloud. _"Horcrux, twelve o'clock!"_

 _ **What?**_

 _"There is a Horcrux nearby. Behind us."_

"He's an author. Obviously." came a voice behind him. He turned around and came face to face, or face to chest, with a tall man with long white-blonde hair.

"And you are?" Harry asked, playing dumb.

"Lucius Malfoy," he stuck out his hand to shake. Harry gripped it and was pulled forward. Lucius used the snakehead on his cane to move the hair from over Harry's forehead. "Your scar is legendary, as of course is the wizard who gave it to you." _"Damned right I'm a legend. On your knees scum!"_

"Voldemort, a legend? I doubt that" he said the last bit under his breath.

 _ **No offence Tom.**_

 _"None taken."_

"Yes, a legend. You must be very brave to mention his name. Or very foolish Mr Potter."

"Not so foolish really. After all, what harm is there in saying a name" Especially that of a dead man." Harry said casually as if they were merely discussing the weather.

"Oh? You think so?"

"I know so." without further comment Harry walked away to begin searching for his books, leaving a disgruntled Malfoy behind him. _"But Harry, Voldemort isn't dead yet."_

 _ **No, but he will be.**_

Harry had just found the last of his books when Hermione came running up to him and wrapped her arms around him. He barely had time to lay the books aside before she reached him. "Harry! When did you get here?"

"About two hours ago. I already have all of my things except for these." he pointed to the books that he had set aside with distaste, he had read a bit of one and was already thinking of burning them. "You?"

"Just a little while ago. I decided to come here first," she told him.

"Typical Hermione. Going straight to the bookstore when there is other shopping to be done." Harry teased. She punched him on the arm, but her smile took away any sense of hostility it may have carried.

Their comfortable silence following this was interrupted by the sound of loud applause from the main area of the store. Harry exchanged a quick glance with Hermione before they both set off in the directing of the commotion. Hermione led Harry to a spot to the side where her parents were standing, looking completely out of place in their everyday muggle clothes amongst the mass of witch and wizard robes around them.

"Hello Sarah, William. How have you been?" Harry greeted her parents warmly, hugging her mum and shaking her dad's hand.

"We've been great Harry. How about you?" returned Will.

"Good. So, what is all of this about?" he asked gesturing to the gathering of mainly consisting of witches, ageing from five to sixty.

Sarah frowned. "I'm not sure, I think it's a book signing or something. At least that what I gather from that sign over there." she pointed to a large wooden sign set up next to the entrance. It said 'Gilderoy Lockhart- Meet and Greet- Today!'.

"I'm gonna find out," Harry said and began to push his way through the growing crowd, Hermione following right behind him, using his wake to make her passage easier. They reached the front just as a photographer shoved his way through to take a picture of the man standing before by a stand that held numerous copies of the book Magical Me.

The man, who had short feathery blonde hair, smiled, showing off perfect white teeth. When he smiled there was a chorus of sighs from the majority of the women present. Lockhart turned slightly for a different pose for the camera and was now facing the direction where Harry was standing. His eyes widened and then his smile grew bigger. "Harry Potter!"

Harry tried to disappear into the crowd before too many people noticed him but were too slow. The photographer grabbed him roughly by the shirt and Harry had to stop himself from breaking the man's arm. He was then shoved up to stand next to Lockhart, who immediately pulled Harry to his side. "Smile Harry! Together you and I are guaranteed the front page." Harry kept his face set in a neutral expression as the camera flashed. "Ladies and Gentlemen, what an extraordinary day this is! When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts this morning to purchase my autobiography, Magical Me, which is currently in its twenty-seventh week at number one on the Daily Prophet's best seller list, he had no idea that he would, in fact, be leaving with my entire collected works free of charge." At these words, he forced a stack of books into his arms and there was another flash of the camera.

As soon as the arm holding him there was removed Harry bolted back out to where Hermione was waiting. "What should I do with these?" he asked her.

"Keep them?" she shrugged.

"Guess I could do that." Harry shrugged as well. He then spied a group of red-haired individuals standing near the entrance. The Weasleys. An older man, whom Harry assumed was the Father of the ragtag bunch, was talking animatedly to Hermione's parents. "Or I can lay them off on someone else," he said. Hermione followed his line of sight and sighed.

"You could. But why get rid of them? It saves you money." Hermione asked.

"I have plenty of money, that's no problem. Oh, well." he shrunk the books and placed them in his pocket. They paid for the other set of books for Hermione and were on their way out of the shop when a bit of conversation caught his attention.

"What is the point of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?" Lucius Malfoy sneered at Mr Weasley.

"We have very different idea about what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy." Mr Weasley said in a clipped tone.

"Clearly, associating with muggles. He turned to glare at the Grangers, sneering, even more, when he noticed Harry standing with them. "But, as interesting as this has been, I must be going now." He picked up a copy of Lockhart's Voyages with Vampires from the display stand behind him. "Here, since you can't seem to afford anything of measurable quality, consider this a gift, to lighten your load." At these words, he dropped the book into the cauldron of the young girl standing next to Mr Weasley. _"There!"_

 _ **What?**_

 _"The Horcrux, it's there, in the cauldron!"_

 _ **I didn't see anything except the books.**_

 _ **Books? The Diary!**_

 _"What else would it be? We've already destroyed the others."_

 _ **Oh yeah.**_

 _ **So, what do we do about it?**_

 _ **Watch and wait. See what happens.**_

 _ **Wait for what?**_

 _"For the opportune moment."_

 **XXXX September 1st**

Harry was running late. He sprinted as fast as he could without using his inhuman speed through the muggle section of King's Cross Station. He had considered using Amorak but decided to only use her as a last resort. Said Hellhound was currently running along beside him, passing through muggles and inanimate objects with spectral ease. It also helped that he was the only one who could see her at the moment.

Platforms nine and ten came into view and he added just a small boost of speed. As he was coming up to the gateway he just caught a glimpse of red hair disappearing through it. Apparently, he wasn't the only one that was late. Without slowing, he ran right at the gateway and smashed right into a solid wall. The force of the impact sent him sprawling back onto the ground where he let out a low groan. "Grr, fuck!"

 _"Haha! That was funny as hell! Looks like we have found a way to bring down the mighty Erebus. Just stand by a brick wall and your safe."_

 _ **Shut the hell up.**_

 _"Don't be sore."_

 _ **Too late.**_

He pushed himself to stand and heard a loud ding. His head snapped to the clock mounted on the side of the platform columns. "Damn, eleven o'clock. The train just left." He rubbed shoulder where he had hit it against the wall when he instinctively lowered his head and tried to go through shoulder-first. He quickly ran to an area where he couldn't be seen. "Amorak," he called to her under his breath. She walked up next to him and he placed his hands on her back. "Take me to the Hogwarts express, and empty compartment." Amorak gave a soft growl of understanding, then the world around them faded.

When it came back into focus he was standing in an empty compartment on the train. "Great job girl." he scratched her behind the ears. "Now, stand guard on top of the train. If you sense trouble, howl so that only I can hear you." Another growl of understanding and she faded again.

He sighed and dropped down onto the seat behind him with a huff. He rubbed his face and felt something wet. He pulled his hand back to find it covered in blood. He touched his other hand to his face, near his forehead and came away with more blood. "Damn." He cleaned his hands with magic.

The compartment door slid open to reveal his bushy-haired wife, smiling brightly. The smile disappeared when she saw the blood running down his face, out from under his hair. "Harry, what happened? Are you okay? Does it hurt?" the questions just came pouring out in a steady flow from her lips. She closed the door and rushed over to him still asking him questions about his wound.

"Hermione...Hermione...HERMIONE!" the volume of his voice shocked her into silence. "Sorry for yelling but it was the only way to get your attention. Yes, I'm okay; no it doesn't hurt; no my vision is not blurry and I can see just fine; as for how it happened, I was running late so I was running towards the platform as fast as I could. When I got the gateway it wouldn't let me through and I smashed right into it."

"Why didn't you use Amorak to get through?" she asked as she waved her hand and healed the injury.

"I did after I couldn't get through. She above us now, on the roof. Standing guard." he answered. She nodded. Harry reached out and pulled her to him and she snuggled herself into his side. With a flick of a finger the curtain on the door closed and the lock clicked into place, giving them at least some privacy. They just sat there enjoying the comfortable silence and each other's company.

"So," Hermione's voice broke the silence after about an hour, "we take care of Pansy this year." it was a statement, not a question.

"Yup."

"Same time of year?"

"I don't know...yeah, that sounds good to me."

"Hmm, I get to help this time right?"

"Of course."

"Good."

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait, uni got in the way, but as a plus, I have the entire story ready to upload. There should be around 8 chapters left before the sequel.**


	16. luna

**16: Luna**

 **D** isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognisable.

A/N: This was a hard chapter to write. Enjoy.

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

 **Patton446**

 **Chapter XVI: Luna**

 **'The moon she hangs like a cruel portrait, soft winds whisper the bidding of trees. And this tragedy starts with a shattered glass heart and the Midnightmare trampling of dreams. But oh, no tears please. Fear and pain may accompany death, but it is desire that shepherds it's certainty, as we shall see..."**

 **-Her Ghost in the Fog by Cradle of Filth.**

Harry sighed as he felt the train come to a stop. He looked down at the form of his wife as she slept cuddled up next to him. He hated to wake her, but they had to go. "Hermione." he shook her shoulder gently. She moaned and nuzzled herself closer to him. He shook her again. "Come on Love, wake up." She batted his hand away and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'bugger off'. He smirked and leant in close to her ear. "Hermione, if you don't wake up Tom is going to eat the last piece of French Toast,"

Her reaction was immediate. Her eyes snapped open and she was on her feet with her wand drawn. "Tom if you touch that toast I swear to Hades I will hex your balls off you avaricious bastard!"

Harry burst out laughing, while Tom was currently diving for cover in Harry's head and waving a piece of white cloth in the air as a sign of surrender. "Hermione, language."

She blushed and scowled at him. "That wasn't nice Harry."

"I know, I'm sorry Love. But you weren't waking up. And you told me to 'bugger off'." he said, still fighting his laughter.

She let out a huff. "Well, you got my hopes up. There had better be warm French Toast at the feast or someone is getting hurt." she glared pointedly at him.

"If there isn't then I will make a special trip to the kitchens as an apology," he told her with a smile.

"I'll hold you to that."

They left the compartment and headed for the nearest exit. Once out in the fresh air, they followed the flow of students to the waiting carriages. They found one with Cedric and Neville sitting in it and hopped in to join them. "Hey, guys." Harry greeted.

"Hey Harry, Hermione." Cedric greeted and Neville followed suit. "So, how was your summer?"

"It was great. Yours?"

"Mine was good," Cedric said.

"Mine was okay, I guess. My Gran has been a lot more grumpy as of late." Neville said. They were joined in the carriage by Susan, Hannah, Daphne and Tracey; almost filling the carriage and completing the circle.

"Why is that?" Hermione asked.

"She has had to attend some Wizenagmot sessions and she always comes back looking angry. I don't know why though," he answered. Harry shook his head, having no idea either.

They continued to talk about mundane subjects as the carriage carried them toward the castle. They disembarked and headed into the Great Hall, separating at the door and going to their respective tables, Cedric, Susan and Hannah to Hufflepuff, Daphne and Tracey to Slytherin, Neville to Gryffindor and Harry and Hermione to Ravenclaw.

Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and searched for his new target. Pansy was sitting near the end of the table, looking a lot more lively than she had last year after Draco's death. He and Hermione had already started discussing what they were going to do to her. Hermione wanted to use the Pear of Anguish on her but Harry thought that that was too weird and really didn't want to have to see Pansy's bits in order to use it the way it was meant to be used. The Breast Ripper was discarded for this reason as well as the Judas Cradle. Harry had a few ideas but they hadn't gone over them yet as they hadn't finished going through the ones in the book that Hermione bought in Knockturn Alley called 'Torture Devices of the Medieval Christian'.

Harry's thoughts were cut short by the sound of the doors of the Great Hall opening and a herd of first years entering. Hermione giggled at how scared and nervous they all looked. Harry ignored most of the names that were called but three caught his attention, one for obvious reasons and the others for reasons he did not yet know.

The first was Colin Creevey, a small mousy boy with an old-fashioned camera around his neck. He approached the stool and sat, McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on his head and they waited. A shocked expression flitted across the boy's face followed by a smile. "RAVENCLAW!" the Hat shouted out. Harry and Hermione clapped as Colin came running over to their table and sat down next to Harry.

Harry shook the boy's hand and introduced himself. Colin's eyes went wide. "Harry Potter! Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Colin Creevey, I'm a muggleborn. Can I take your picture?"

Harry stared at him, trying to decipher his excited rapid-fire speech. Hermione was fighting laughter at Harry's confused and flustered expression. _**Did you catch any of that?**_

 _"All I caught was 'Harry Potter...pleasure...muggleborn...picture'."_

 _ **Yeah, that's about all I caught too.**_

 _"Is he talking about porn?"_

 _ **I doubt it. He's eleven. And seriously, you have a dirty mind.**_ Tom snickered.

"Colin, could you repeat that; slower this time, please," Hermione asked him from Harry's other side. "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, I'm Harry's best friend."

"Nice to meet you. I said," he looked at Harry, "It's a pleasure to meet you. And I asked if I could take your picture. I want to send it to my brother, he won't believe that I met you unless I have proof."

"I thought you said were muggleborn." Hermione said, looking at him curiously, "I mean, I didn't learn about Harry until McGonagall mentioned him when she took me to Diagon Alley for the first time, and after I went to Flourish and Blotts and read some books that talked about him. Even then it was near impossible to find anything that was anywhere near the truth."

"Oh, McGonagall mentioned him to me too and told me and my brother all about him," Colin told her.

"You'll have to tell me what she told you later, that way I can correct it with the truth," Harry told him, then all three of them turned to watch the sorting.

"Luna Lovegood." read McGonagall from the roll of parchment in her hand.

A small girl with pale blonde hair skipped up to the stool with a dreamy smile on her face, and Harry noted that Ronald and Ginny Weasley were giving the girl nasty looks. She sat serenely on the stool as McGonagall placed the Hat on her head. A short few seconds later the Hat yelled, "RAVENCLAW!" Harry and Hermione and Colin clapped loudly while the rest only clapped politely as she skipped over to them and sat down across from Harry. Dumbledore watched her the whole way.

Hermione was the first to introduce herself to Luna. "Hi, I'm Hermione." she stuck her hand out for Luna to shake. "And this is Harry and that's Colin." Hermione finished the introductions, her hand still held out. Luna stared at the hand with a shocked expression but quickly covered it up and shook it.

Luna glanced toward the staff table. "Luna Lovegood" was all that she said, for a moment she looked sad but then switched her expression back to a dreamy smile.

Harry was about to continue talking to her when a name was called by McGonagall that required his attention. "Ginevra Weasley." _"She has the Horcrux in her pocket."_

 _ **Why would she carry it? Hang on, the Diary is designed to be able to correspond with whoever writes in it right?**_

 _"Yeah, and if they write in it too much it can control and eventually suck the life out of them. If it does this then there is a chance that the soul piece could come back to life using Ginny's life-force."_

 _ **But how would it get a new body?**_

 _"The projection. Once it gains enough control and begins to absorb the energy of the writer it can project itself into the physical world. If it does this then it can use the rest of her life-force to make the body whole and alive."_

 _ **We would have a sixteen-year-old Voldemort on our hands then.**_

 _"Not good."_

 _ **What?**_

 _"She just got sorted into Gryffindor. We can't keep an eye on her there."_

 _ **No, but Neville can.**_

 _ **I'll talk to him tomorrow.**_

Harry turned back to face the table and looked at Luna. He could have sworn for a moment that he saw her glaring at Ginny as she sat at the Gryffindor table, but the look was gone so fast that he thought he may have imagined it.

Dumbledore watched as the Lovegood girl skipped over to the Ravenclaw table after being sorted. He saw Granger and Potter try to talk to her, so he sent her a warning in her head "Remember what I told you Luna." her eyes snapped up to him before going back to Granger. She gave the hand a short shake and then ignored them.

He nodded in approval. Only a week ago he had paid a visit to the Lovegood home in Ottery St. Catchpole. He had asked Xenophilius if he could have a private word with his daughter. He then proceeded to threaten Luna that if she didn't do as he told her he would kill her father, her last remaining parent. Needless to say, she agreed to his terms. He ordered her to not become friends with anyone at school so that when the time came no one would miss her or notice her absence. It helped that she was already an odd girl.

After his visit he went over to the Burrow and spoke to Ron and Ginevra, telling them to bully the girl into a subdued state that would be easy to manipulate. They were happy to do this, as they had never really liked the girl, but she continued to come around anyway.

He watched her for the rest of the feast. So far his plan had worked, she was already shunned by the others in her House, except for Potter, Granger and the Creevey boy, whom he planned to watched as well, but she turned down all of their attempts at conversation and kept to herself, a false smile on the whole time.

Before the feast began he stood and made the usual start of term announcements and introduced their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart. This announcement was greeted by clapping and sighing from the majority of the school's female population, and groan and sparse polite clapping from the males.

The next morning found Harry talking to Neville and the rest of the circle at breakfast, Colin joined them as well. "Neville, I need you to do me a favour," Harry told him in a hushed voice so that no one outside of his group could hear him. He wasn't sure how much he could trust his 'friends' with yet as they had only known him for a year or so, but now he was going to take a huge step in forwarding that.

"Sure Harry, if I can help I will," Neville said, a bit nervously. He still had some self-esteem issues.

"Oh, I'm sure you can," Harry assured him. "You see, I have it on good authority that Ginny Weasley has brought a dark artefact into the school and may be planning to use it for something. I need you to keep an eye on her for me."

"W-what kind of dark object?" Neville asked shakily.

"I'm not sure, just look out for anything that strikes you as odd."

"Okay."

Cedric looked at Harry with a scrutinising gaze. "Why are you so interested in this supposed dark object Harry? I mean, if there is one, shouldn't we notify a professor?" Nods all around, except Hermione.

"No!" Harry and Hermione said together, quicker than they had intended to. "I mean, no." Harry continued. "I don't trust any of the professors here to handle this the way it should be handled. Delicately."

"You trust me, Harry?" Neville asked in shock.

"Of course I do, I trust all of you guys," Harry said. "After all, if you can't trust your friends, who can you trust?"

"That's true." Cedric conceded.

"So, do you think you are up to the task Neville?"

"Yes," Neville answered in a determined manner.

"Good, I'm counting on you."

Gellert entered the front door of Number 12 and lit the lamps with a wave of his wand. He had been shocked to find that his time in Nurmengard hadn't depleted his magical power in the slightest, in fact, it had only made him stronger. All the years of having those accursed bands sucking the magic from his core had forced his core to grow stronger to keep him alive. Now he could hold his own against Harry in a duel, though he was still weak in physical terms he was becoming stronger every day that he exercised. He was easily the strongest of Harry's 'Enforcers' as Bella called them, or Lieutenants as Harry called them.

He heard Sirius and Bellatrix enter the house behind him. Harry had asked them before he left to restore Grimmauld Place as best as they could. Number Four was becoming too crowded and they needed a place to stay where the Ministry and Dumbledore wouldn't be able to find them. "Bellatrix, you start on the ground floor and kitchen. Sirius, you take the basement and the cellar." Bellatrix didn't seem to have a problem with that and headed right for the kitchen. Sirius groaned. He didn't mind the cellar, as it was just a bunch of old wine racks and bottles, but the basement was another thing altogether. There was so much junk down there that it would take weeks to sort through it all. "I'll clean up the bedrooms, library, study, bathrooms and the attic."

As Sirius trudged toward the door that was the entrance to the cellar Gellert started up the stairs to the first-floor landing. He opened the first door and stepped inside. It was a sitting room, with two large overstuffed chairs and two couches. He waved his wand and began to gather all of the dust into a pile in the middle of the floor. He then vanished the dust. He then opened the windows to let the room air out and moved on to the next one.

He continued this until he reached the library. After clearing the dust he went to open the windows and found a swarm of Doxies. Having only a wand and no Doxycide he cast a Freezing Charm on them as quickly as he could. As soon as he had them all frozen he deftly vanished them along with the dust. He decided to take a quick break as he had already cleared two floors and was almost done with the third. He began to look over the books that were on the shelves and found a few on Necromancy.

His thoughts turned, as they usually did, to his long-dead lover. His soul-bonded mate. Ariana. He gazed longingly at the book in his hands as a lone tear fell from his eye to land on the worn leather cover. He could still see the fear that had marred her beautiful face as she fell lifeless, still see her smile, the smile that she only showed him when they were alone. He could still remember how beautiful she had looked in the white gown that she had worn at their wedding. They had married in secret, stealing away in the night to a nearby church, where the priest had turned out be a wizard. Not that mattered as they were already officially married in the wizarding world since they had soul-bonded the first time they kissed. More tears fell from his eyes as he silently wept for her, for his Ariana.

He looked back at the book in his hands. Maybe if he learned Necromancy he could bring her back. Maybe. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and wiped his eyes.

Then with a determined glint in his eyes, he began to gather up all of the books on Necromancy that he could find and shrunk them. He had about seven volumes when he ran out of books to look through. He took the ones he had found and stuffed them into his pocket and left the room.

His next destination was the study. The study was a strange room, it was more of a trophy room than a study. Along the walls were display cases that housed many pieces of jewellery and artefacts. He looked in one and noticed an empty section that had no dust. It was in the shape of the locket that Harry wore around his neck. He must have got it from here the first time he and Sirius had visited to see how much work needed to be done to restore it.

He swiftly cleared all of the dust and opened the windows, expelling more Doxies, before beginning to sort through the objects in the cases. He had a lot of work ahead of him and the books in his pocket were weighing heavy on his mind.

Tonks couldn't believe what she was hearing. Another murder had been committed in Germany, this time outside of Munich. The wounds were similar to that of the one in Berlin, suggesting that it was done by the same person. This time it was an older couple, the Bauers. Walter Bauer worked for the Ministry, in The Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. They had only one child, and he was already out of school and working as an Auror.

"What?" she asked again in disbelief.

Kingsley sighed. "The Aurors have once again failed to uncover any evidence as to the identity of the killer. We just received what information they have. They want a weapons expert to examine the wounds this time to try and determine what created them. They've called Ishida back from Japan."

"The one that Scrimgeour insulted?"

"The same. He is there now. We'll get a copy of his findings as soon as his investigation is finished." Kingsley leant back in his chair.

Tonks fell into the one across from him. "What do you think the odds are that he'll find anything?"

"Not very high. He may be able to determine what kind of weapon did it but not who did it. Without a magical signature, we have nothing to go with. I personally don't think that any of these cases are related in any way. Just random really."

Tonks raised a brow at him. "Surely it would seem odd that the all of the victims were associated with the Ministry in some way."

"That is a strange coincidence, I'll admit," Kingsley said slowly.

"But what if it isn't just a coincidence?" Tonks asked insistently. "What if there is some actual reason behind it, not just someone randomly offing people? What if the Ministry is being targeted by someone?"

"I don't see any reason for the German Ministry to be targeted," Kingsley said in an explanatory tone. "They have a competent Minister, their Auror force is one of the best, they have a lot more acceptance of muggles and muggle-borns than most other countries **.** A good economy. They haven't had a powerful dark wizard since Grindelwald, and he's dead now." The Prophet had featured an article on the death of Gellert Grindelwald a few weeks ago.

"True, but no one is even thinking of the fact that it could be premeditated or organised."

"No, they aren't. Because there has been no proof to support it."

"There hasn't been any to disprove it either. And aren't you the one who told me to never rule anyone or anything out as a possibility?"

Kingsley fell silent. She had him there; he had said that. "But if we look at everything like that then we might as well add Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore to the very short list of suspects in the Erebus case."

Tonks frowned.

"You see, while we have to keep an open mind we can't go around accusing people."

"Like Scrimgeour did at the meeting?"

"Exactly, that could have cost us a lot, technically Ishida could have duelled him then and there but he held back out of respect for the others present."

"Do you think Ishida could have beat Scrimgeour? After all, he is a legend in the Auror corps. not as big as Moody but still well known for his skill." Tonks asked curiously, unintentionally drawing their conversation way away from their original topic.

"I have no doubt that he would have given him a run for his money. One doesn't become the Head Auror that young without the skills to warrant it." Kingsley answered easily. Tonks could help but agree with that assessment. Scrimgeour hadn't become Head Auror until he was in his early forties, and he was only fifty or so know, still middle-aged for a wizard. "Back to our earlier subject though, It is highly unlikely that these individuals were targeted for any real reason." Tonks was about to protest again but Kingsley held up a hand to forestall her impending argument. "But, I'll send them word not to rule it out. Could be a crime ring." he mused with a laugh.

Tonks nodded, "Yeah, and Erebus is Harry Potter." she said this an amused smile on her face, though she snorted at that after she said it.

A soft breeze blew through the courtyard of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, causing Harry's hair to move about, tickling his face as it danced over it. It also caused some the papers that were laid out on the grass around Hermione to lift off the ground and move a few inches. She reached out and quickly caught them before they could go any further. One flew out of her reach but was swiftly pinned down by the toe of Harry's shoe.

"Thanks," Hermione said as she plucked it from beneath his foot and added it back to the stack that was now in her hand.

"No problem." he returned.

Classes had ended an hour ago and they had come here for some peace and quiet while Hermione started on the homework that McGonagall had assigned on the first day. Harry returned to where he was leaning against one of the columns that surrounded the courtyard. "Why not wait to finish that Hermione? After all, you know the course text by heart and won't have any problem finishing it in a couple of hours. Relax, it's only the first day."

Hermione huffed and shot Harry an irritated glance. "Because, if I do it now then I don't have to worry about it later. And you should be doing the same," she told him briskly. Having to catch her papers every five minutes was grinding away on her nerves at a rapid pace.

"I'll get it done, it'll be finished before I sleep tonight. Trust me." Harry said in a placating tone.

"Harry, I trust you with my life...just not your schoolwork," Hermione told him with a smirk.

"Hey, have you forgotten that I'm right behind you in class ranking?"

"No, I haven't forgotten that at all. I just don't like procrastination," she informed. _"In that case, I vote that we kill Pansy and Dumbledore now."_ Both Harry and Hermione mentally narrowed their eyes at Tom. _"What?"_

 _ **You have no subtlety.**_

 _"Fuck subtlety! They won't see it coming."_

Tom's comeback was cut off by the approach of Neville. Harry looked at him questioningly, it was barely the first day, he wouldn't have anything to report on Ginny yet. So why was he out here? "What's up Neville?"

"Why do you want to know?" Neville asked, forgoing a greeting in favour of getting straight to the point.

"Pardon?" Harry asked bewildered.

"Why do you want to know? About Ginny's so-called 'dark object'?" Neville clarified. "Why do you really want to know?"

"I don't understand-"

"Don't lie Harry. You may have the others fooled but not me, and definitely not Cedric, he's just too Hufflepuff to say anything."

"Neville, don't ask questions that you don't want to know the answers to," Harry warned. He had never seen this side of Neville and quite frankly he thought that he should show it more often, but this whole situation was moving too fast for Harry's comfort.

"Don't give me that crap Harry."

Hermione had been sitting and watching this exchange with growing trepidation. If Harry wasn't careful with his words then he could cost them everything. _"Kill him. He is already too curious. He knows that something is going on and he won't let it go. Trust me, I know Gryffindors, they're stubborn and insistent. He'll go to Dumbledore."_

 _ **But if we kill him, we not only lose a potential ally but it will draw too much attention, he is the last scion of the Noble and Ancient House of Longbottom.**_

"Neville trust me, you don't want to know. You've heard the saying 'ignorance is bliss'? Well, in this case, it's true." Harry turned and began to walk out further onto the grounds. Neville followed right behind, not giving up. Hermione stuffed her papers into her bag and started after them, in case she had to either calm Harry down or cover Neville's ass as he ran, whichever came first.

Harry stopped at the edge of the Forbidden Forest and gazed into its dark depths, he could also see the glowing eyes of Amorak as she stood watch over him. "Why do you want to know?" Harry asked, mirroring Neville's earlier words.

Neville was caught off guard by the question but composed himself quickly. "Because, if I am going to be doing this for you, I need to know the real reason behind it. This morning you said you trusted me. So trust me now."

Harry sighed and turned around to face his friend, looking him in the eye, reading his surface thoughts and intentions. "Okay."

Neville was shocked for a moment. He had expected to have to fight to get the truth out of Harry and drag it kicking and screaming into the light. "What?" _"I agree with Nev on this one. What!"_

"Okay."

"I don-" _"Me neither."_

"I'll tell you what you want to know, but first you have to prove yourself worthy," Harry told him in a serious voice.

"What do you mean worthy?" Neville asked hesitantly. He was beginning to think that this may have been a bad idea.

"Loyalty, Neville, is something I hold in very high regards. I value it beyond almost anything else. Honesty, also something I value very highly. Swear to me that you will be loyal and honest with me always and I will tell you. If not, I'll give you one chance to walk away and never speak of this again. You don't have to swear to honesty, everyone has right to their secrets, but loyalty and service are required. What say you?" Neville stared in shock for a moment. "What say you, Neville?"

In way of answer Neville drew his wand and pointed it upward, Harry noticed that Hermione's hand had snapped toward her own wand when Neville drew his. "I, Neville Harfang Longbottom, last scion of the Noble and Ancient House of Longbottom do hereby swear on my life and magic to loyally serve Harry Potter until such a time when my services are either no longer required or no longer wanted. So mote it be."

Harry nodded as a flash of white surrounded Neville. "Good, now, shall we relocate to a more private location?" Hermione and Neville nodded and followed Harry as he leads the way to the castle.

For the second time in as many hours, Tonks was speechless. "The Minister wanted to do what!"

Kingsley sighed and repeated himself. "He wants to allow the Dementors to leave Azkaban to search for LeStrange and Black. The request has been stopped for now by the Wizenagmot but I'm not sure how long it will stay that way. If this Erebus strikes again anytime soon then I fear that they will set them loose."

Tonks was flabbergasted. "How could he want to do that! Dementors can't be controlled! They only stay at Azkaban because of free 'meals' we give them. If we let them loose they will attack innocents!"

"That's the argument that was used to put the request to a halt," Kingsley said as he sat down in his chair. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that. Especially because he wants to send them to Hogwarts." Tonks shot him a glance. "He thinks that Black and Lestrange will go after Harry Potter at school."

"That, that makes no sense whatsoever. If they even made it to Hogwarts then Dumbledore would know they were there because of the wards."

"I know. But the Minister is not a very competent man. You didn't hear me say that." he said forcefully.

"I'm not going to tell. I agree. You didn't hear that."

"Of course not."

"So, is there anything that can be done about this?"

"Unfortunately no. Scrimgeour is actually in favour of it."

"What!"

"Yep, he thinks it is 'a marvellous idea'," Kingsley said in an irritated voice.

They grew quiet for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. "Oh," Kingsley said in a way that suggested that he had just remembered something. "I just remembered. While you were on your lunch break we received the investigation results from Germany."

"And?" Tonks prompted him.

"And, Ishida was able to determine the type of weapon that was most likely used, a dirk, for the stomach wounds and a broadsword for the decapitations."

"Forgive my ignorance but what is a dirk?" Tonks asked.

"Dirk is a Scots word for a short dagger," he answered.

"Oh. Okay. Is that all?"

"No. He was also able to find a trace of magical signature on the corpse of Carrie Bauer. It seems that she was stunned at some point."

"So we have a suspect?" Tonks asked, leaning forward excitedly.

"Maybe. They haven't been able to determine who the signature belongs to yet. They still have to test it. We have a sample that was absorbed and transferred into a crystal so we can compare it with our records as well. All of the Ministries involved at the meeting received a sample for testing."

"Then let's hope they catch whoever it was."

"Agreed."

Luna sat curled up against the wall in an empty classroom as tears streamed down her face. She had barely been able to contain her emotions until she was alone and had broken down immediately after the door closed behind her.

For so many years she had looked forward to her time at Hogwarts, seeing it as a chance for a new start, a chance to find friends and be happy. But that dream had gone up in phoenix flames the day that Albus Dumbledore had come to her home and blackmailed her into being his pawn by threatening her father's life.

As always happened when she thought of this fact a burning rage began to build inside her, but she forcefully shoved it down. Anger would do her no good, she wasn't strong enough to oppose Dumbledore. All she could do for now was go along like a good little puppet and hope that someone, anyone, would hear her silent cries for help.

To make matters worse Ginny and Ronald, two people that she had thought were her friends had turned against her. Picking on her, calling her rather mean names and making nasty comments about her whenever she was near.

She didn't like who she had become, normally she was happy, always smiling, and was the personification of what others called 'airheaded'. Shaking her head she decided that just sitting there wasn't going to change anything. All she could do was hope for the best.

She wiped her face with her hand and stood up, intending to leave. She plastered a fake dreamy smile on her face and walked toward the door. She had only taken a few steps when she heard the sound of someone turning the door handle. Her eyes widened and she ducked behind a bunch of desks and began to hide her magical signature by drawing all of her magic into herself; a trick she had been taught by her mother before she died.

The sound of the door opening was followed by voices, familiar voices. She risked a glance over the top of the desk she was behind. Her eyes only confirmed her suspicions. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. What were they doing here? She heard them begin to speak and forced herself to focus on what they were saying.

"Welcome, Neville. Hermione and I used this room all last year for secret meetings to discuss issues of importance. Now, have a seat." Luna heard someone sit down on the desk that she was hiding behind. She chanced another peek and found herself looking at Harry's back. "Okay Neville, you wanted to know why I asked you to spy on Ginny. The reason is that the object that she holds, a Diary, is the last thing standing between us and Voldemort's death. I won't go too far into details, let's just say that that Diary needs to be destroyed at all costs. Do you understand this?"

A short pause. "Yeah, I think I do." said a voice that she didn't recognise.

"Good. Any more questions Neville?" Hermione's voice asked.

"Only one for now, since you guys don't seem too keen on sharing information freely."

"Yet." was Harry's response.

"Ask away." was Hermione's.

"H-how do you know that this object is keeping Voldemort alive?"

There was a long pause, and a tense atmosphere fell upon the room. Apparently, this was a touchy subject, or a sensitive one. Luna heard Harry release a loud puff of pent-up breath. "It's a Horcrux, the last. Do you know what a Horcrux is?"

"No."

"It is a dark magical creation, it is created when someone places part of their soul into a solid object, anchoring them to this world." Luna listened as Harry explained to Neville about the Veil that separated their world from the Otherworld, she was quite fascinated by this information truth be told.

"And how do you know that it's a Horcrux?" Neville asked after Harry had finished.

Harry chuckled. "You said only one question, Neville."

"S-sorry-"

"No no, it's okay. The reason I know is...because I was one." Stunned silence. "When I was eight my uncle beat me, almost to death, but I was saved by the piece of Voldemort inside me. I gained his memories, knowledge and power. That's how I know. Now, it's getting late. We should all head back to our common rooms. Oh, and Neville, don't tell anyone what was said here, especially not Dumbledore." Harry said. Luna couldn't shake the feeling that he was talking to her as well like he knew she was there. But she didn't reveal her presence until she was sure they had all left.

She was still in shock over what she had just heard..then a sudden fear hit her. What if Dumbledore found out? He read her mind every morning, to make sure she hadn't disobeyed him. He would find out the information that Harry clearly didn't want anyone else outside of his group to know. And she would unintentionally sell him out. She had to find a way to hide this entire memory from Dumbledore. But how?

Tears welled back up in her eyes as she paced the room and tried to come up with an answer. Harry and Hermione, along with their friends had extended the hand of friendship to her without hesitation, and even though she had to refuse she felt horrible that she was going to betray them. Unless she could think of something. Her own mind was working against her, all she could think about was the consequences, not a solution.

She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the other person present in the room with her. "Occlumency would be a good place to start."

Luna jumped with a small scream and whirled to face the direction the voice had come from. Against the wall, cloaked in the shadows of the dark room, stood Harry Potter. She couldn't see his face but she expected that he was not happy. She tried to speak but no words left her.

"So, you work for Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

She could only nod slowly.

"You see, that could be a problem. We can't let him know anything so, I'm sorry for this." He drew his wand and pointed it at her. Luna stared at it with her large blue eyes going even wider. She saw his lips moving but heard no words. She felt something hit her and he lowered his wand.

She looked down at herself to find nothing different, then she grew dizzy. Her knees went weak beneath her and she was falling. But before she hit the floor a pair of strong arms caught her and hauled her to the desk that she had been hiding behind earlier. "What did you do to me?" she asked when her voice came back to her.

"Reprobamency. Incantation: _Reproba Mens_ , False Mind. It is a spell that I made myself when I was learning Occlumency and Legilimency. It creates a second, false, mind around your own, allowing you to project only the thoughts that you don't mind others seeing. The rest stay safely locked in your real mind. A Very handy alternative to Occlumency, but works best if you know both." Harry explained all of this while she sat hunched over on the desk.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, you are safe from Dumbledore's mind reading for a good while, just start learning to defend your mind. Hermione and I could teach you if you want."

She smiled a real smile. Here he was, offering her friendship again. But then she hesitated.

"Nothing will happen to your father Luna. Not if you continue to 'play' your part." she nodded. "Good. We'll discuss this more in depth later. Come on. We need to head back now." he held his hand out to her; she took it happily, the personality switch was almost instantaneous, so quick that if Harry didn't know better he would think that she was Schizophrenic. She pulled him along with her as she skipped merrily back to Ravenclaw tower, smiling the whole way.

"So Harry, how long have you and Hermione been soul bonded?" Luna asked in her usual dreamy tone. Harry still wasn't sure if it was an act or just the way she was. Then he realised what she had said.

"What?" he was embarrassed when his voice cracked.

"Oh, no need to pretend you don't know. I can see it. It's quite a sight to behold. You compliment each other very well." she said, seemingly without a care in the world.

"Er...since last year. What do you mean you can 'see' it?"

"Both of your auras are very strong, and they're connected. Even now it is pulling you to her," she explained.

"You can see auras?"

"Mm-hm. It's quite a useful skill to have."

"I'll bet it is," Harry said, thinking about how much easier his hunt for the Horcruxes and Hallows would have been with that skill.

They parted at the entrance to the tower, Harry going to join Hermione where she was waiting for him and Luna skipped off to her dorm.

"So, how did it go?" Hermione asked him as he sat down next to her on the couch.

"Well, I think. I had to use the False Mind charm on her, so that should help. I also think that we may have made a huge step in gaining another friend." Harry said, rubbing his eyes with the thumb and pointer finger of his left hand. "Oh, and apparently she can see auras."

Hermione looked sceptical. "And why should we believe that?"

"She knew that we were bonded."

"What! How?"

"She said our auras are connected."

"Oh."

Harry stood up. "I'm going to bed." he looked around the common room. Empty. He bent down and gave Hermione a soft kiss. "Goodnight Love." He went to leave but her hand caught his sleeve.

"Harry, you haven't finished your homework," she told him. _"Ha! Thought you could get away!"_

"I'll do it tomorrow," he said.

"No, no Harry. You said earlier that you would do it today. Your exact words were 'I'll get it done, it'll be finished before I sleep tonight'. Now sit down and do it."

Harry groaned and sat back down. He summoned his school bag and began to work, under the watchful eyes of his wife. _"Hahaha!"_

 _ **What the hell are you laughing about?**_

 _"You! You are so whipped!"_

 _ **Shut the hell up!**_

Tom laughed.

 **A/N: Another chapter as promised. Can't guarantee there will be one tomorrow. No Flames.**

 **Oh and for those who are wondering: Hermione did get her French Toast at the feast.**


	17. The pieces are moving

**17: The Pieces are Moving**

 **D** isclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything else that is recognisable.

 **The Dawn of a Golden Age**

 **Patton446**

 **Chapter XVII: The Pieces are Moving**

 **'Tonight is the night! The empowering wind that draws breath from despite roars 'neath my wings as I soar with the end in sight.'**

 **-Nemesis by Cradle of Filth**

Breakfast in the Great Hall was relatively uneventful until Harry and Hermione received their copies of the Daily Prophet, telling of yet another murder in Germany. The only information that was given was the names of the victims, the Bauers, and the manner of death; also the type of weapons used, a Scottish Dirk and a Broadsword. It did not speak of any other evidence. _"The Aurors seem to be having problems doing their jobs."_

 _ **Yep. Whoever is doing this is good at covering their tracks.**_

 _ **Harry. Read on page four.**_

Harry flipped his paper to the fourth page and his eyes were immediately drawn to a side column with the headline:

 **Minister Calls For Dementor Man-Hunt!**

 _In a special session of the Wizenagmot, yesterday Minister Fudge demanded that they issue an order to the Dementors to leave Azkaban to hunt for escaped mass murderer Sirius Black (for more information see pg. 6) and known Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange (pg. 6). Rufus Scrimgeour, Head Auror of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, sided with the Minister on this request. However, the when the request was put to vote it did not pass. "If we allow those fiends to leave Azkaban we run the risk of subjecting innocents to their ravenous hunger," said Augusta Longbottom, a longtime member of the Wizenagmot. This brings this reporter to question the Minister's judgment as well as that of the current Head Auror._

The article went on to highlight other questionable decisions by both Fudge and Scrimgeour and also featured comments from other Wizenagmot members. _"If they ever do allow the Dementors out of Azkaban then thing could get really dangerous really fast."_

 _ **Agreed. But I think we would be safe with Amorak around. You saw how they avoided her when we broke Sirius and Bella out.**_

 _"Yeah. True."_

The second thing that happened was when a letter arrived for Harry. He broke the seal and read it silently. He felt an outside force probing his first layer of Occlumency defences, which was his Reprobamency false mind. He looked around to find Dumbledore staring at him. _"Old Bastard. Does he think that we are so weak that we cannot tell when someone is attempting to read our minds?"_

 _ **Obviously, he does.**_

Harry looked back at the letter after supplying a false memory for Dumbledore.

 _Schizo,_

 _Restoration of Dust-trap is going well._

 _We are already well ahead of schedule._

 _Bedrooms, bathrooms, library, study and kitchen are all almost finished._

 _Pup and Craze have already moved in, I will remain at Boring until your return._

 _Unless you order otherwise._

 _Regards,_

 _Geezer._

 _P.S.: Tell Mop that I was able to save all of the books._

Harry released a burst of magic that turned the letter to ashes, then vanished the ashes. Hermione and the others were all looking at him curiously. For the sake of keeping his activities from Dumbledore, he told them that it was a letter from his relatives. Inside his head though he told Hermione what it had really said, well summarised it. Gellert was taking the secrecy thing way too seriously by using code names for everything. Schizo, was him, referring to the fact that there was another consciousness in his head (Tom); Dust-trap for Grimmauld Place; Pup for Sirius; Craze for Bella; Boring for Number 4; Geezer was Gellert himself, referring to how old he technically was; and Mop was Hermione, referring to her hair. _**Remind me to hit Gellert when we see him again.**_

 _ **Alright. But with your memory, I probably won't have to.**_

The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was nearly unrecognisable. If the layout wasn't the same Harry would have thought it was a different place. The walls, instead of showing diagrams like Quirrell had had, was now a hanging place for hundreds of pictures of Gilderoy Lockhart. The man himself had just stepped out of his office dressed in flashy golden robes and smiling widely, revealing perfect teeth. _"Well isn't he just a_

"Allow me to introduce your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher... me! Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class; Honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League; and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award," he said as he descended the stairs that lead up to his office. _"Gods! He's got almost as many titles as Dumbledore."_

 _ **Only none of them are as prestigious as Dumbledore's.**_

"Today," he continued speaking, making Harry grind his teeth. He couldn't stand hearing the ponce talk. "We are going to start off with a little quiz." he set down a stack of parchment on each of the front desks. "Everybody take one and then pass the rest back please."

When Harry received his copy he snarled in disgust. None of the questions even had a mention of Defense; they were all about him. "'What is GILDEROY LOCKHART'S favourite colour?' 'What is GILDEROY LOCKHART'S secret ambition?' 'What, in your opinion, is GILDEROY LOCKHART'S greatest achievement to date?' 'How many times has GILDEROY LOCKHART won Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award?' What the bloody hell is this!" he practically growled. Some of the girls in the class that heard him glared at him. "Seriously! Tell me this is a joke. Is he that full of himself?" More glares. "Whatever." _"I'm on your side, Harry."_

 _ **Glad someone is.**_

 _ **I am too.**_

 _"Hehe, what a poof! I remember the answer to number two."_

 _ **Haha, yeah. What was it again? 'to rid the world of evil and to market his own range of hair care products'?**_

 _"Yup, that would be it."_

 _ **He is a pouffe.**_

Harry pulled out a quill and began to answer the questions, all correctly. When Lockhart picked up the tests at the end of an hour Harry tripped him with his bag as he walked by, causing the boys in the class to all laugh and the girls to look as if they were going to hex him. Hermione was fighting to keep a straight face. "Sorry about that Professor. You should watch where you are walking." Harry told him in a tone that to all around he sounded genuinely concerned. But the look he received from Hermione told him that she knew he had done it on purpose, and didn't care.

Lockhart climbed back to his feet, his face bright red. "Right you are. No apology necessary Harry, it was my fault."

Harry smirked as the man made a hasty retreat back to his desk. But the headache wasn't over yet. After grading their tests, Harry and Hermione getting perfect scores, he brought out a cage that was covered with a blanket. "It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind. Know that no harm will come to you while I am here." At these words, everyone, except Harry and Hermione, tensed up in anticipation. The cage gave a violent shake, causing those in the front row to gasp and flinch back. "All I ask is that you remain perfectly calm." he ripped off the blanket to reveal a cage full to bursting with pixies.

Anthony Goldstein laughed loudly. "Pixies? They're not dangerous at all!"

"Laugh while you can Mr Goldstein, they are devilish, tricky blighters. Let's see what you make of them!" Lockhart flipped the lock on the cage and the pixies swarmed out like a mad hoard, wreaking havoc as they went. Swarming about like angry bees. Pandemonium ensued.

Students were diving for cover under their desks as the Pixies, with a strength that seemed far too much for such a small creature, began to throw full-sized books and even chairs at them. The few that were lucky had already run out the classroom door and to the safety of anywhere that wasn't the Defence room. Some of the pixies had flown straight at the windows that allowed sunlight into the room and smashed through them, raining shards of razor sharp glass down on a few unfortunate students. Michael Corner, a dark hair, quiet boy was crouched down in a corner using an overturned desk for cover while he shot freezing spells at the little blue demons.

"Hey Hermione, he's got the right idea." Harry pointed to where Michael had just frozen another pixie. "Get the cage!"

Lockhart had tried to perform some spell, but it proved ineffective and a pixie stole his wand and used it to jab him in the eye. Lockhart howled in pain, clutching his eye and stumbling about. Hermione had made a mad dash for the cage while Harry provided covering fire. With the cage in hand Hermione waved Corner, Patil, Susan and Hannah into a tight circle where they all began to cast freezing charms on the Pixies, when one was frozen Hermione would leap out and stuff it in the cage while the others covered her, she would then jump back and they would reform the circle around her. They were bringing the Pixies' numbers down by three or four at a time.

Lockhart stumbled passed them still clutching his eye and whimpering pathetically. As he went by Harry stuck his leg out and tripped him for the second time in an hour. This time instead of simply falling Lockhart smacked his face against a desk and dropped to the floor, out cold. No one paid him any mind.

While Harry and his friends, plus Michael and Padma, fought the pixies the rest of the class had taken the opportunity to flee the room and close the door behind them. The number of free pixies was dwindling fast.

Michael swung his arm out and batted away a book that was aimed at Hannah's head before freezing the pixie that threw it. Hermione leapt out and snagged it, stuffing it violently into the cage as they reformed around her. Finally after another thirty seconds or so everything was quiet.

Harry looked around him, assessing the outcome of the short skirmish. The room was a mess as if a typhoon had formed inside of it and left the wreckage behind. He then looked at the few individuals still in the room. Michael, Padma, Susan and Hannah were all breathing heavily, tired from casting so many spells in such a short time. Ravenclaws were known for their minds not their stamina after all. And Hufflepuffs, well they usually tried to avoid conflict so having a fight, even a short one, was bound to tire them. "Everyone alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Michael answered. The others all nodded in agreement.

"Hannah, you almost got taken down, If not for Michael's quick reflexes you would be joining him." he pointed to where Lockhart was still unconscious, his eye red and swelling and a bump forming on his forehead.

Hannah nodded. "I know. Thanks for that by the way," she said the last bit to Michael, who waved it off.

"Don't mention it," he said with a slight reddening of his cheeks. "So, what do we do about him?" he gestured to Lockhart's unconscious form.

"Leave him," Hermione said. Susan and Hannah looked at her incredulously. "What? He brought it upon himself."

"B-but it's Gilderoy Lockhart!" Susan protested. "He was just giving us some practical hands-on experience."

"I doubt that." Harry countered. "The git didn't have a clue what the hell he was doing."

"But, you've all read his books," Padma spoke up. "Look at all of those amazing things he's done. Like-"

"You mean things that he _says_ he's done." Michael cut in. Padma fixed him with a withering glare. He didn't appear fazed. "What? Everyone knows you can't kill a Banshee with a Patronus, it just doesn't work." He told her referring to one of Lockhart's books titled 'Break with a Banshee' that related the tale and Lockhart's supposed defeat of the Bandon Banshee. "He even got the gender wrong. He refers to the Banshee as 'he' when it is common knowledge that Banshees are female."

Harry and Hermione were watching this exchange with interest. While Hannah seemed to be siding with them on the matter, Susan was reluctant to believe anything that defiled her image of Lockhart, and Padma was furious at the mere idea of it. They continued back and forth, Padma giving examples of the 'great' things Lockhart had done and Michael countering the 'facts' with logic, effectively dismissing them.

Finally, Michael seemed to have enough and started toward the exit, his parting shot. "Maybe if you actually read something other than that rubbish you would realise how much of a fraud he is." had Padma practically blowing steam from her nostrils. Harry shrugged and followed him out, Hermione, Susan and Hannah right behind him.

They were now outside in the courtyard with the rest of the circle, Hannah had practically drug Michael outside with them when he tried to head back to the tower. Susan was relating the events that had just transpired to the others with surprising accuracy. Cedric didn't look too happy about the danger that Lockhart had put them in. "What the hell was he thinking!" he demanded at the end of the story.

Harry snorted. "I don't think he was."

The others voiced their agreement to that assessment.

Cedric then decided to change the subject. "And him?" he gestured to Michael, who was standing a few feet behind everyone else. To some, the question might have come across as rude, but with Cedric, it was genuine curiosity.

Everyone turned to look at him then, he seemed slightly uncomfortable under their scrutiny. "Well, he did help us in the classroom. In fact, he was the first to actually start freezing the pixies. And he did save Hannah from being levelled by a book that one of them threw." Harry told them.

Now, Cedric, being the oldest member of their little group, was very protective of the younger students, especially Susan and Hannah since he spent more time with them. He thought of them as his little sisters. And anyone who was willing to help them was okay in his book, that didn't mean that he wasn't going to keep an eye on them though. "Well then, he's okay in my book. But had better watch his step around my girls." he gave him a pointed look, eyes going from Michael to Hannah and back again.

Hannah's cheeks turned pink. "Cedric!" she protested loudly, causing the others to chuckle.

"I agree with Cedric on this one," Harry said. Hannah began to protest again until Harry held up a hand. "Not about that, that all on Cedric. No, but," he turned to Michael, "if you want to stick around, I've got no problem with it."

Michael's expression turned thoughtful. Then he nodded. "Sure."

"Alright then. Welcome."

 **XXXX 10/30/92, Devil's Night. Outside Ipswich.**

The moon hung high in the night sky, illuminating the world in a ghostly pale light. All was silent as two figures moved stealthily through the countryside. In the distance sat a moderate sized house, light streaming out through a crack in the drapes that covered the windows.

They approached the house and knocked solidly on the door three times, then stepped to either side of the entryway to wait.

The door opened, allowing more light to spill out into the darkness. A middle-aged man stepped into the doorway and called out. "Hello?" No answer. "Hello?" Silence. Then a slight rustle just outside the range of the light. "Who's there?" his voice was trembling slightly as he reached for his wand. "Who's there!" when he received no answer he began to lower his wand. He caught movement out of his peripheral vision and shot a stunner out toward it. The spell travelled to the edge of the light and struck a tree. He lowered his wand completely and stepped back, closing and latching his door as he did so.

He turned to go back to dousing the lights before going to bed, only to find himself staring into the deepest black eyes he had ever seen. The eyes were void of any warmth, cold and hard, framed by silky strands of black hair. The man's face was covered with a cloth wrapped around his head, covering his forehead, nose and mouth. "Evening Governor. Let's play a game," he spoke in accented English.

Fast as lightning his hand struck out and grabbed the man's throat. He then proceeded to drag him into the living room. There they found another figure, dressed the same as the other, only the hair hung down to the shoulders. In one of his hand, he held a short dagger. He had the dagger placed to the throat of a woman, around the same age as the man.

The second dark figure began speaking, the voice was feminine and had the same accent as the other. "The rules are simple. Tell us what we want to know and you live. If you don't tell, then your little wife will get hurt. Understand?"

The man nodded. "Good." said the first figure. "Now, first question. What is your name?"

The man swallowed thickly. "Frank, Frank Thomson."

"Good, now Mr Thomson, where do you work?"

"The Ministry of Magic," Frank answered.

"Which department?"

"Department of Mysteries."

The first figure nodded to the second. "Good. You have within your department a book called the Grimoire of Osiris, tell us where it is."

Frank sputtered. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Don't lie to us! Where is it?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Frank said again.

The female figure looked to her right, into the shadows that covered half of the room. She nodded as if someone had told her to do something. "I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation." At this she took the dagger away from the wife's throat and plunged it into her stomach, eliciting a scream from the previously silent woman.

"Stop it!" Frank cried out as the female stabbed his wife.

"Then tell us what we want to know." hissed the male into his ear.

"I don't- I don't know-" he tried to say.

The female raised the dagger again.

"I don't know much about it. They keep it in the research section of the Department. I don't know anything else. Please, stop." Frank now had tears in his eyes.

Both figures looked to the shadows before nodding and stepping back. Frank sighed in relief, but it was short lived as he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He looked down to find a dagger, the same as the one the female had used on his wife, sticking out of him.

He looked up to the shadowed area to see a third figure step out of them, dressed head to toe in black, his face hidden by his hair. In his hand, he held a long slightly curved sword. "Thank you for your assistance," he said in a soft voice before lifting the sword and swinging it hard. Frank's world went black when the blade severed his head from his body.

Luna skipped merrily through the corridors of Hogwarts. She was happy, truly happy, for the first time since her mother's death. Ever since two months ago when Harry had cast the spell to protect her mind from Dumbledore her spirits had been lifted. And now she had friends, even if they were secrets.

She turned a corner and headed toward the door of the empty classroom where she met Harry and Hermione most nights. Tonight though she entered to find only Hermione waiting for her.

"Good evening Luna." Hermione greeted her as she set up the privacy charms around the room.

"Good evening. Where is Harry?" Luna wondered aloud, looking around her to see if he was perhaps hidden like he was before.

"Oh, he won't be joining us tonight. Well, he may later but I doubt it." Hermione said as she returned to her seat. "So it's just me and you."

"Oh, why is that?" Luna inquired.

"Because it's Devil's Night, and he missed last year's so he feels that he needs to make up for it by doing something bigger this year."

"Oh, okay."

"So, shall we get started?"

"Sure."

"Okay, ready?" A nod.

" _Legilimens!_ "

Harry strolled leisurely across the courtyard. _"So, what do you think?"_

 _ **Well, I was considering the Whomping Willow but the thing is just too cool.**_

 _"Yeah. It's a pity that we are at school if we weren't then we could kill someone."_

 _ **True, but we'll have to make due. Hey, I wonder if the Quidditch pitch is protected against fire.**_

 _"It wasn't during my time here."_

 _ **Then let's try it.**_

Harry continued his casual pace as he walked along toward the Quidditch field. He was passing by an outcropping of the forest when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He snapped his head toward the disturbance to find nothing. He watched closely for any other signs of life. Then he saw it again, a dark shadow moving through the trees.

He crept along cautiously, so as to try to avoid detection by the creature. Suddenly the air was split by an ear-piercing shriek that had Harry down on his knees clutching his head. Suddenly the shadow came flying straight out of the treeline, arms outstretched. Before he could react, even with his enhanced speed, he was lifted into the air by the creature who held him by his shirt.

He had time to study the creature. It appeared to be an old woman with long white hair spilling out from underneath a black cloak, her breath sounded like what Harry thought a death-rattle would sound like. Then she spoke. "Beware, child of fate, death follows you and those you love, always waiting for a chance to strike. If you continue with your plans for this night then one close to you shall fall on the morrow."

Harry struggled against her grip, he knew what this creature was; a Banshee, a messenger of death to any who heard her cry. He didn't wish to hear anymore but she continued to speak. "He who has cheated death has begun an attempt to return to this physical world. Burn, and your beloved shall be laid to rest, ere the sun rises."

Harry gasped and fell limp, "Hermione?" he whispered, in a frightened voice, all colour draining from his face.

The banshee shook him once to bring him back to the present. "Heed my warning, you know not what you do. Hades does not wish for your death, or that of your beloved for many years to come. Know this, I will return, when I do, listen well."

Suddenly Harry fell to the ground in a heap. He pushed himself to his feet, breathing heavily, his skin ashen. He turned around and around searching for any sign of the Banshee. She was gone. He looked down at his shirt to find holes where her nails had torn the fabric; the only proof he had that he hadn't been imagining it. Without hesitation, he turned and ran back to the castle. Back to Hermione.

 **XXXX All Hallows Eve. 10/31/92**

At breakfast the next morning Harry sat as close to Hermione as he could, the Banshee's warning still fresh in his mind. Hermione had been shocked to find out that Harry hadn't carried through with his plans and asked him why. All he had done was shake his head and hold her tighter. He was going to do as the Banshee had said and heeded her warning. Of course, Tom had told Hermione what happened through the bond and well, Harry wasn't the only one who was scared. They had both slept in Harry's dorm that night.

Now with the sun already risen and the day began Harry was only feeling marginally better. He tried to assure himself that Hermione was safe, after all, he had done as the Banshee said and abandoned his plans to burn the Quidditch pitch to the ground. Then there was the fact that she had mentioned Voldemort.

He looked over to the Gryffindor table where Ginny Weasley was sitting, writing in the diary. According to Neville, she did this a lot. It was only a matter of time before the diary gained control over her. Maybe it already had, Hagrid had told him the other day that something was killing all of the school's roosters. But why would it have her do that?

He was brought out of his thoughts by the arrival of the morning Prophet. On the front page, in a side article was the announcement of another murder, this one closer to home. In Ipswich. Frank and Mary Thomson had been killed in the same manner as those other two families in Germany. The magical sample had proven inconclusive, each government stating that it did not match any of their records. _ **Someone is encroaching on my territory. I don't like it.**_

 _"Avada Kadavra?"_

 _ **Yes Tom, Avada Kadavra.**_ _ **As soon as we find out who it is.**_

 _"Oh Happy Day!"_

Tonks was feeling sick to her stomach. She stood next to Kingsley looking down at the bodies of Frank and Mary Thomson, her skin was pale and sickly. She held a handkerchief to her mouth and nose in an attempt to block out the smell of death and blood. "Another one." she groaned in despair.

Kingsley nodded grimly. "Yes, and on our own soil this time." he and the rest of his team had scoured the entire area and found no indication of who had done this. "No evidence again. Not an 'Erebus' sign."

"Scrimgeour and Fudge are going to be all over this. They push even more for the release of the Dementors." Tonks said quietly.

"I'm afraid so."

Tonks looked at the body closest to her. "Frank worked at the Ministry didn't he?"

"Yes," Kingsley answered, "he was an Unspeakable."

"Maybe that's why he was targeted. You think?" Tonks inquired.

"I'm starting to think that your organised theory has some merit," he admitted.

Another Auror came running over to where they were standing and stopped in front of them. "The investigation is complete sir," he said to Kingsley, who motioned for the man to continue his report. "It's all clean of evidence. We have nothing to go on, no magic was used within the house."

Kingsley cursed under his breath and dismissed the man, telling him to gather everyone and head back to their team headquarters. He and Tonks apparated there ahead of them, each falling heavily into a chair.

When every one of the team was back Kingsley stood and walked over to a large map of the world that was hanging on the wall. He touched his wand to it and a small red X appeared over the dot marked 'Ipswich'. There were other red X's on the map at Munich, Berlin and Orita, marking all of the sights that had been the scenes of recent murders. There were also two white E's on the map marking the places that were known Erebus crime scenes.

He quickly debriefed his team and dismissed them before returning to his seat and staring at the map. Eleven murdered persons and an entire village of people missing or dead, and not a shred of evidence. He was baffled by this. He didn't see how it was possible, but he determined that he would get to the bottom of it if it was the last thing he did.

Harry, Hermione, Susan, Hannah and Michael were walking towards what w\they were sure would be another disastrous Defense Against the Dark Arts class when they were set upon by Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. "Hey Scarhead, you had better hurry along, you wouldn't want to be late. Or perhaps you're too scared to be in the presence of a real wizard like Lockhart." she sneered in what she must have thought was a demeaning way. Harry almost burst into laughter at her words, Tom did.

"Wow," Hermione said in false awe, "that was the best you could come up with? As much as it surprises me to say it, Draco was the wittiest of the lot. Pity he's dead, he at least was some fun." she continued in a mocking tone, smirking at the end.

Pansy glared hard at her and growled out, "Watch your mouth and respect your superiors filthy little mudblood!"

instead of taking offence and tearing up like Pansy had intended, Hermione just raised her eyebrows at the other girl. "Is that supposed to be an insult? I happen to be very proud of my heritage and blood status. At least I'm not a half-wit inbred piece of scum."

Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward angrily but instead of retreating Harry and Michael both stepped forward to meet them. "Do something." Harry snarled at Goyle. "if you have the stones for it, that is." Harry's voice was joined by Tom's during these words, causing his eyes to darken considerably. Goyle was oblivious to the danger presented in those black orbs and made to punch Harry.

With barely restrained speed Harry dodged the punch and kneed Goyle hard in his stomach, dropping him straight to the floor with his breath knocked out of him. Any further fighting was stopped when Professor Snape rounded the corner and yelled at them to 'stop at once'. "What is going on here?" He asked in his usual 'intimidating' way. "Ms Parkinson?"

Pansy jumped at the opportunity to get Harry and the others in trouble. "Sir, we were just heading to our next class when Harry and this boy," she pointed at Michael, "came over and started insulting us then Granger joined in. Then Potter got mad and hit Goyle."

Snape turned his hard black gaze to Harry, who stared coldly back at him. Snape must have seen something in his eyes, whatever it was caused him to flinch slightly. "Detention Mr Potter. Tonight. I shall leave it to your head of house determine where you shall spend it. Now, move along."

Harry simply smirked and continued his earlier path towards Lockhart's classroom. He gave Pansy a sweet smile as he went by, all the while Tom chanted in his head, _"One, Two Harry's coming for you. Three, four we'll break down your door. Five, six we're gonna kill you bitch. Seven, eight we're honing our blade. Nine, ten you'll never speak again."_

Hermione gave her the same smile while the others simply followed them. They were both looking forward to the upcoming Christmas holidays. _"Oh yes, there will be blood."_

 _ **"...Rip...tear...kill..."**_

Harry's head snapped up from the parchment that lay before him. He had barely avoided having to spend his detention helping Lockhart answer fan-mail and instead was doing lines with Professor Flitwick. He strained his ears trying to determine what had made that strange hissing sound. _**Tom?**_

 _"I heard it too."_

 _ **What was it?**_

 _"I don't know."_

 _ **"...Hungry...so hungry...so long..."**_

 _ **What?**_

 _ **"...Time to kill..."**_

Harry felt a tap on his arm and jumped, startled. He turned to find Professor Flitwick standing there. "I'm sorry, what did you say Professor?"

Flitwick looked at him worriedly. "I said that you may go now Mr Potter."

"Oh, yes sir." Harry stood and headed out the door. He glanced at his watch and discovered that he still had time to make it dinner and changed course. He was on the stairs that led down to the second floor when he heard the voice again.

 _ **"...Kill...must kill..."**_

Harry increased his pace, as the voice began to grow fainter. It became louder once again as he reached the second floor.

 _ **"...let me rip you...let me tear you...let me kill you..."**_

 _"_ _That certainly doesn't sound very pleasant."_

Harry ignored Tom and continued to follow the voice.

 _ **"...blood...I smell blood...KILL!"**_

At this last word, Harry ran, the Banshee's warning echoing in his mind as he did. He turned a corner and ran down the second-floor corridor. He let out a curse when he nearly slipped. The floor all around him was covered in water. "What the hell!" he muttered in frustration. He whips his head around, searching for anything out of place, and his eyes land on the wall.

His eyes widen. There on the wall, written in what appeared to be blood are the words:

 **THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.**

 **ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.**

Harry swallowed thickly as he approached the wall and stretched out a hand to the deep red lettering. He touched two fingers to the still wet liquid and brought it to his nose and sniffed. Definitely blood. He sticks it to his tongue and tastes it. Not human. He sighs in relief at this fact. He quickly vanishes the blood from his hand and turns away from the disturbing message. _**Tom, who else besides us could open the Chamber?**_

 _"No one...at least, not without some help."_

 _ **Ginny.**_

 _"And the Horcrux. It's gained control."_

Harry turned back around to look at the words when his eyes landed on a door next to them. He approached the door and threw it open. It was a girl's lavatory. '...one close to you shall fall on the morrow'. The Basilisk was loose. He closed the door and began to pace. If the Basilisk had been let out of the Chamber then that meant that it now responded only to Voldemort, or Ginny in this case, as he was the one to free it. Tom was a direct descendent to Salazar Slytherin, and as such his heir. As such, Voldemort was as well. _ **We'll have to kill her. She'll not obey us now that she recognises Voldemort as her master.**_

 _"We don't know that yet. Perhaps if we can prove ourselves to be a better master she will listen to us."_

 _ **I hope you are right.**_

Suddenly the sound of many footsteps reached his ears and he spun around to find the entire student body coming around the corners. They immediately saw the writing on the wall and many gasped in horror at what was written. And some were pointing passed him at something. He once again turned to look and found himself staring at the still form of Mrs Norris, the caretaker Filch's cat. _"Um..that's not good."_

 _ **No shit Sherlock.**_

"Enemies of the heir, beware." quoted the voice of Pansy Parkinson. She looked over to where Hermione was standing with the rest of the circle, looking on worriedly, Cedric stopping Colin from taking a picture of Harry and the wall behind him. "You'll be next mudbloods!" she shouted to them, glee evident in her voice. Harry snarled and glared in her direction, causing her to flinch noticeably.

"What's going on here!" came the voice of the last person Harry wanted to see at that moment. Filch pushed his way through the gathered crowd. He broke through the circle and his eyes landed on Harry. "Potter? What are you doing-" he trailed off as his eyes drifted past Harry to the cat hanging from the torch fixture on the wall. His eyes filled with despair as he stared at her in disbelief. "M-Mrs. Norris?" he whispered, his voice trembling; Harry felt sympathy for the man. The despair in Filch's eyes changed into rage as he turned his back to Harry, it wasn't a normal rage though, it was a wild crazed type of anger that caused a person to not think clearly at all. "You murdered my cat," he stated plainly as if it was obvious. The crazed expression took over his features and he grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt. "I'll kill ya," he said, his voice shaking and tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "I'LL KILL YA!" he roared and began to reach his other hand toward Harry's throat.

"Argus!" Dumbledore stepped through the gathered throng followed by the other professors, looking for all the world like he was there to save the day. he looked at the wall and the words written on it, his face unnerved but his eyes, calm, showed that he was unfazed by the message. "All students will return to their dormitories at once," he called out loud enough for everyone to hear clearly. "Except you, Harry." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly as he said this. _"Great, the goat's at it again."_

 _ **Harry, do you want me to stay?**_

 _ **No. No need to cast suspicion on you. Head back to the common room with Luna and Michael. I'll be along shortly.**_

 _ **Okay. Be careful.**_

As soon as the rest of the students were gone Dumbledore turned to Filch. "She's not dead Argus." His tone was calm and his words consoling.

Throughout all of this Filch was standing with his face in his hands as tears ran down his face. Harry placed his hand on the man's arm, trying to offer a bit of comfort but retracted it when he only received a glare for his efforts. But at Dumbledore's words, he looked up, hope shining in his eyes. "N-not dead? Then, why is she all stiff and frozen-like?"

"She has been petrified," Dumbledore explained.

"Ah, That's what I thought. So unlucky that I wasn't there. I know just the countercurse that could have spared her such a fate." Lockhart said, trying to make himself seem important, and failing...miserably. Harry wasn't the only one to think so as many of the professors levelled sceptical looks at him; he was oblivious.

"How she has been petrified, I cannot say." Dumbledore continued.

"Ask him." Filch jerked his thumb at Harry, who shot him a cold glare.

"Argus, the skill and power required to perform such a curse far exceeds that of a second year. There is no way he could have done it."

"It was him!" Filch yelled. "You saw what he wrote on the wall, I know it was him. He knows I'm a...I'm a...he knows that I'm a squib. He must know."

 _ **Filch is a squib?**_

 _"That explains a lot."_

"I never touched Mrs Norris. And I don't even know what a squib is!" Harry lied.

"Rubbish!" Filch growled.

Harry was about to retaliate but was cut off by Snape. "If I may, perhaps Mr Potter was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, though I doubt it. I for one don't recall seeing him at dinner."

Harry gave Snape a withering glare. "That's because I was serving the detention that you gave me this morning Professor." he snarled at the greasy haired bastard. "You can ask Professor Flitwick, I was doing lines for him."

The diminutive professor nodded his head in agreement. "That is true."

Snape sneered at Harry.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," Dumbledore said in his usual grandfatherly tone.

Filch didn't like this answer. "My cat has been petrified. I want to see some punishment!"

Dumbledore shook his head. "We will be able to cure her Argus. Professor Sprout has a very healthy batch or Mandrakes and we will be able to make a restorative potion that will revive her." he turned Harry. "You may go."

Harry quickly vacated the area as Snape and Lockhart began to argue about who would make the Mandrake Draught.

 **XXXX Madrid, Spain.**

Two figures moved silently along the hall leading down into the depths of the Spanish Ministry of Magic. They approached a large black door that was secured by many large locks. The first figure, a young woman of around seventeen years, her brown hair pulled into two pigtails; and the second was a tall well built young man of the same age, his dark hair was short and spiked.

The male gazed at the door with calculating eyes, judging its durability. He smirked and nodded to his companion. He drew back his fist and struck the door hard. There was a resounding crack as the door splintered and broke.

They had no fear of drawing attention, all of the guards were dead. Swiftly, with the movement of unnatural grace, they navigated the twisting corridors of the _Departamento de Investigacion Magica_ , the Department of Magical Research. It didn't take them long to find what they were searching for.

On a podium in the middle of a library-like room sat a book. The cover was of hard black dragon skin, gold letters adorned its cover. They read _Tomos Del Rey de Los Demonios, por – Sancho de Aragon._ Beneath the title was a depiction of a man rising from a grave.

The female figure stepped forward and picked up the thinnish book and stuffed it into a bottomless pouch on her belt. They then departed.

 **XXXX Moscow, Russia.**

A lone man walked through similar areas ass the other two. His eyes were covered by a strip of black cloth tied around his head. His sand-coloured hair fell around his face.

He made his way through the Russian Ministry's Department of Magical Research, killing anyone who got in his way with practised ease, snapping their necks with his strong hands.

In a room that resembled the interior of a church, he found a gold podium holding a leather-bound journal bearing the name 'Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin' in pale lettering. A plaque above it identified it as the Manuscripts of the Mad Monk. The journals of Rasputin himself; it also said that he was seen as a Mystic and a healer by both muggles and magical alike, though the writings in the journal are unknown as no one has been able to open them since they were discovered.

The man smiled and tucked the book away in a pouch at his belt.

 **XXXX London, England, Britain.**

Three figures ran through the Ministry, blades held at the ready in their hands. They left no evidence of their passing, taking the security crystals that were installed in all of the halls with them as they went, other than a headless body at the security station by the entrance. They used the lift to move down to Level Nine, the Department of Mysteries.

They met their first form of resistance at the entrance to the department. An Auror was pacing in front of it. He raised his wand at them when he saw their weapons. The leader of the three rushed forward with almost supernatural speed and decapitated the man before he could utter a spell.

He stepped over the now headless body and opened the door into the depths of the Ministry's most cherished vault. They found themselves in a round room with a door on all sides. They had gathered enough information to know what to do here. "Runes and Code-breaking." the leader spoke as clearly as his accent would allow. A door to their left opened at his words.

The rushed through, shifting into defensive positions as they continued through the dark halls. They eventually came to a conference-like room with a large wooden table in the centre. The table was bare of any objects except for one. At the head of the table was a book that appeared to be made of stone, the pages thick and hard, its covers covered in Egyptian hieroglyphics. One of the figures, another male, picked it up and put it into a pocket on the vest he was wearing. With a nod, they retraced their steps and left without further confrontation.

 **A/N: A lot of things happened in this chapter so if you need something cleared up, let me know and I'll do my best to explain it unless it gives away future plot points.**

 **As always, let me know what you think. No Flames.**

 **-patton446.**


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